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From: gls@odyssey.ATT.COM (g.l.sicherman)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: The Job Hunt
Message-ID: <333@odyssey.ATT.COM>
Date: Fri, 16-Oct-87 08:56:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: odyssey.333
Posted: Fri Oct 16 08:56:21 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Oct-87 23:49:49 EDT
References: <15196@topaz.rutgers.edu> <1368@houdi.UUCP> <1377@houdi.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Middletown, NJ
Lines: 36

> > > Mr X. goes to an employment interview and gets angry or flustered and
> > > says something that causes him to be rejected.  Without knowing how his
> > > mind works you can conclude it was flawed.
> > 
> > And you could be wrong.  Most likely Mr. X. didn't want the job after
> > all.  He only wanted you to think he wanted the job.  Give him credit
> > for some intelligence!
> 
> Also flawed from Mr. X's point of view.  Sicherman argues that X only
> seemed to get angry or flustered, in order to make sure the company
> didn't make him an offer, because during the interview he decided he
> didn't want a job with them.  If I attributed Mr. X's actions to
> intelligence I would expect him to conclude gracefully, let them make
> an offer, and reject the offer, without making a bad impression on
> somebody who later might be in a position to offer him a job in another
> company.  And I don't care whether you blame emotions or habits.

You misunderstood me.  I suggested not that X *seemed* to get angry, but
that he genuinely got angry.  Emotions are not some kind of side effect--
they serve a constructive purpose.  Anger, in particular, drives away
or destroys things that threaten your well-being.

Most likely Mr. X wants to avoid getting a job, but wants people in
general or certain people in particular to think he wants a job.  It
happens all the time!  You're wasting your time when you pontificate
to Mr. X.  He's not going to tell a back-seat driver like you what he
really wants.

> > By this criterion, we are all flawed.

> That's exactly what I meant.

Well, it's a useless and insulting criterion.
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...!ihnp4!odyssey!gls