Wordie: Confidence: Comments

Comment by SonofGroucho, 3 months ago

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:00:18 +0000

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:10:35 +0000

Yes, I think second guessing is very concrete, and leads to dithering. One may accept doubt without feeling compelled to act on it.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:56:45 +0000

Interesting also is the difference between "second guessing" and "doubting." To me, the latter always implied a less immediate, more diffuse sort of uncertainty.

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:45:39 +0000

Well, I think the idea is that the surgeon will inevitably have to make life or death decisions, often quickly. S/he has no time to ponder. The decision, of course, will be made on the basis of experience, knowledge and evidence, but there is no time for second guessing or doubt. Once a decision is made, it must be acted upon.

Personally, I do not have the temperament for that, but I am certainly glad others do!

Comment by uselessness, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:22:28 +0000

I'd say that "principle" applies to anything that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. However, surgery does matter. Yikes.

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:05:52 +0000

There are variants of the saying "Sometimes/often wrong but never in doubt." I have heard it said that it is a necessary atribute of surgeons. And yet there is also such a thing as overconfidence.

Comment by oroboros, about 1 year ago

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:20:19 +0000

The stuff of all achievers. Inversely proportional to doubt. But a confidence man is to be avoided at all costs to preserve one's own store of confidence!