precision

[jinian]

People really don't notice how precise I am. If, for example, I say that it is not possible for us to tell whether a call coming into this office is using our toll-free number, it is because I am completely certain of that fact and I know all about what's going on. It's not cause to go, "I wonder who would know?"

Yesterday morning I said I was 98% certain I'd done something Friday and everyone cracked up. I'm not sure, but it seemed to be for the wrong reason. A 2% margin of error is extremely low. That means I was able to replay that part of Friday in my head with great precision and watch whether I had done what I thought I had. But people were laughing that I hadn't said 99.9%. Well, of course not. That'd be almost worthy of an unadorned statement of fact.

Granted, I am not the most important person in these people's lives, but I'd like them to actually notice that I speak carefully. At least my supervisor got it. She's not that great with personnel problems, but she and I have always gotten along and she notices a lot that's important. (Also, she occasionally gives me a great pile of data and lets me create order, which is very fulfilling.)

Comments

[torquemada.livejournal.com]

I love you. You rulez0r.

Precise speech delights me. Seriously.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Aww. You are all sweet. Thank you. :) It's good to know some people appreciate me.

[torquemada.livejournal.com]

=D

I'm reminded to ask: Want to get together for dinner this week? I can do tonight or tomorrow. Or Friday, and you could come up for El Noche de Farscape with me and elynne. Or you could pass for this week. Let me know. =]

[wcg.livejournal.com]

It generally takes me a couple of years being around the same people before the group as a whole catches on to the degree of precision I use. But it does seem to happen eventually. Surprisingly, it's not especially faster among scientists and engineers than it was among Marines.

[linenoise.livejournal.com]

I used to piss people off in another forum by being *too* precise for thier tastes. Simply because I insisted that words actually did have specific meanings, and no, you're not allowed to redefine them because you feel like it. Those people drove me batty.

I like conversing with people who use language precisely. It makes me warm and fuzzy.