Comments on: List of things I hate

By: AB

AB — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:24:11 +0000

People with messy desks aren't creative? Sounds counterintuitive. But you cited a study, so I checked it out. Funnily enough, the words "creative" or "creativity" were nowhere to be found in the study - instead it discussed "conscientiousness" and "organization". That's not exactly the same thing, Penelope…

In fact, the study didn't even go so far as to say that a messy workspace definitely means the worker isn't conscientious or organized - it is far more focused on PERCEPTIONS of that worker by others in the work place. (It did assert that such perceptions have "some" validity.) Your original post acknowledged this subtlety, even as it jammed creativity into the mix, but the reference to the study in this posting does no such thing. I believe you overstated the claims made by this study in your original post, and obscured them altogether in this post. Sloppy.

By the way, I keep my desk clean at work for exactly the reason the study suggests you should - to project an image of conscientiousness and organization.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:16:44 +0000

There is no faster way to make someone hate you than to correct their grammar… unless, of course, you happen to be in the minority who thinks linguistic rights and wrongs make fascinating conversation. Unfortunately, I'm one of the latter, but I've been able to keep my grammatical corrections directed toward editing, which is my job, and helping my interns become better writers, which is abuse they signed up for. And, OK, I pester my boyfriend when he uses a pronoun like "he" after referring to three different men.

By: Alexa

Alexa — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:59:28 +0000

I think this post deserves a comment by someone who was in no way offended by it. The perfectionists that I have worked with always seems to be running behind, and they blame what they consider to be an impressive quality about themselves. "Sorry this is late, I'm just such a perfectionist!" Messy deskers always claim that they know where everything is. This logic may have worked at 13 when you were arguing with your parents about a messy bedroom, but does not sound too great at work. If I need a file you have been working on, I don't find it amusing when you joke about your "filing system" while you make me wait while you dig through piles of work. Am I over-generalizing? Yes. This does not apply to every perfectionist and messy desker that I know. The title of this post was "Things I Hate," not "Things I Hate, and I Hope I'm not Offending Anyone."

By: Lucy

Lucy — Fri, 11 May 2007 14:15:23 +0000

Penelope is one of those people who thinks she knows everything, therefore, feels like giving an advice (wrong advice) and insulting people that are not like her.
Perfectionists are the "backbone of society", and anything they do, they do it right. That makes other people jealous, those that are just not capable of doing things right, so all they can do is just insult, talk and give wrong advoice.

By: Darren

Darren — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:19:22 +0000

This post really rubbed me the wrong way.

There is a place (a very large place, actually) in this world for people who have a strong need to see a job well done. I don't particularly want you or anyone like you designing my airplane or my elevator (or doing my medical diagnosis), I don't even want you to paint my apartment.
…. and I really don't care how quickly you get those tasks (half) done.

Also, I think that when people have been saying "I have a serious problem", you've been hearing "I have a unique problem". I cannot imagine a teacher who thinks that *they* have the only career where one needs to be "on" all the time, but it is a fact that teaching requires this to a large degree, and if it's a problem then it's a problem… I fail to see how explicitly acknowledging that the problem is not unique makes it less of a problem.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:21:15 +0000

Though some people do have unique problems.

Some are required to drive different routes to deter ambushes and work in constant fear of their safety. Others handle toxic chemicals that could kill just by splashing their leg. How about women violently forced into prostitution? Kind of a far cry from sex discrimination and bureaucracy. Many jobs have problems, but not many jobs are life threatening.

It's easy for you to say that we all have "choices," but many people in many parts of the world do not, and have not in the past.

* * * * * *

Hi, Daniel.
Thanks for your comment. I think you're right. I don't think, though, that I could ever give career advice to people in these jobs. I think very little of what I write would apply to these people. They probably don't need career advice. They need other stuff much more. Giving and taking career advice is sort of a luxury. Something we do when we can afford to fine-tune our happiness.

–Penelope

By: Lindsay bruce

Lindsay bruce — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:53:43 +0000

Oh dear, what a pity. Another deluded fool who thinks life is about career. Work to live, don't live to work. In the moments before you die, you really won't be wishing you'd been able to write another 100 reports, or get that promotion you felt you deserved. You WILL be in agony that you didn't spend more time with your family and friends enjoying your life rather than spending it behind a desk making money for some equally deluded asshole.

Sure - I'm a messy desker, and a perfectionist, so you can say I'm in denial, and that's fine. I'm happy for you to go on believing the corporate bullshit.

One day you'll change your mind - the day it's too late to do anything about it.

* * * * * *

Hi, Lindsay. I'm not sure how you landed here, but I have exactly the opposite take on work and l life that you think I have. In fact, my guess is that you and I think very much alike.

Here are some posts I think you'll enjoy:

How much money do you need to be happy: Hint, your sex life matters more

Make the world better from the job you have right now

Women who are not my role models

-Penelope