How much do you know?

[rich p]

or making home-made racks? No, that would be tortuous.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

It's just the element of surprise, most of us had you down as a really boring old git but, in light of the plywood revelations, we have to revise that opinion, you're obviously a really fun guy

Thanks Mac, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me in the last couple of hours

 

[GordonB]

I suppose I may be one of the few here who has actually had to make a public statement about how much they know, as now and then I give evidence in court or planning inquiries and for those purposes I may be classed as an "expert witness". This has in the past led to some interesting discussions with barristers trying to lead me into the pit of oblivion that swallows the unwary. Goes like this;
Him - so you are an expert, Mr B?
Me - I have a good, probably extensive, knowledge of my subject but I prefer not to be described as an expert.
Him - Why not?
Me - because as soon as I answer any question with "I don't know" I'll be challenged as to my status as an expert. I am also of the view that it is not for me to style myself as an expert but for others to make that decision based upon how I present myself and my knowledge.
Him - so you admit you don't know everything about this subject?
Me - yes (keep it short, confuses the buggers no end).
Him - long silence follows hoping I'll fill the void
Me - .......................................
Him - well Mr B?
Me - and the question was?
Snigger from the public brings this to an end and we can get on with the main business of the day, which is him trying to trap me into contradictions and me making sure he fails.

Like others here, I worry about the supremely confident ones you meet now and then, you know the type "there's two ways of doing things, my way and the wrong way". Unfortunately, many of them are politicians, in fact it's probably a pre-requisite for the job.

Gordon

 

[mickle]

A local Scotchman tried to tell me the other day (at great length and with a great deal of patronise) that it was 'impossible' to make porage in a microwave.

Twunt.

 

[asterix]

He was of course right. You can't.

 

[levad]

A local Scotchman tried to tell me the other day (at great length and with a great deal of patronise) that it was 'impossible' to make porage in a microwave.

Twunt.

Might be an example of the wrong question here.

The scotsman was correct in so much as to 'make' porridge I gues you need a harvesting machine, some sort of roller system and maybe an oven etc.

Now 'to cook' porridge is a different matter, I use the microwave so the scotsman was incorrect

 

[yello]

Like others here, I worry about the supremely confident ones you meet now and then, you know the type "there's two ways of doing things, my way and the wrong way".

That's kind of it for me. It's not what you say but how you say it.

Confidence is a strange thing. I think I'll even call it an ability. People with 'lesser' talent ('lesser' because I have no idea how one measures talent) can succeed if they are confident. Personally, I find high degrees of confidence unnerving. I like people to have, and show, an element of self doubt.

Seems some folk believe that stating something confidently, and/or often enough, makes it fact.

 

[Dan B]

Seems some folk believe that stating something confidently, and/or often enough, makes it fact.

No they don't
NO THEY DON'T
NO THEY DON'T
NO THEY DON'T

 

[beanzontoast]

I don't know whether it's confidence or arrogance.

I did encounter someone once who had a chip on their shoulder by virtue of their academic qualifications in an unrelated area of study to the task at hand being quite high. This made it impossible to tell them anything about what they actually needed to be doing (which I was tasked with doing) without them referring to their academic qualification as some kind of veto.

The 'because I have done A, there's nothing I can be told about B' logic scares (and saddens) me.

 

[Night Train]

It's like the confidence of the scientists searching for dark matter.
'We don't know what it is, what sort of particle we'll find, if we can even detect it, or even if it exists. But we are going to look for it anyway.'

 

[postman]

You all need to talk to my Mother in Law .She knows everything .So she told me 20 years ago .

 

[dellzeqq]

That, Arch, has put 3BM firmly in his place. I'd forgotten the Schwalbe tyre video - that was gripping

Do you or 3BM have any videos of welding? I'd find that rivetting

I'm not so sure. I rate the ply thing above the foil thing. It's a great example of making something that is much stronger than the sum of its parts. Foil is just squishing stuff.

Now, if anybody had a video on plasterboard manufacture....

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I suppose I may be one of the few here who has actually had to make a public statement about how much they know, as now and then I give evidence in court or planning inquiries and for those purposes I may be classed as an "expert witness". This has in the past led to some interesting discussions with barristers trying to lead me into the pit of oblivion that swallows the unwary...

Another of the few, here. And very much the same experience with barristers. The thing is, I was told by my side's solicitors, not to try to get into an argument with them, but simply tell them what you have come to tell them and politely decline to engage in any other stuff. I found this harder than it sounds!

 

[ColinJ]

Another of the few, here. And very much the same experience with barristers. The thing is, I was told by my side's solicitors, not to try to get into an argument with them, but simply tell them what you have come to tell them and politely decline to engage in any other stuff. I found this harder than it sounds!

My father once witnessed a fatal accident and was asked to give a yes/no answer to a very misleading question in court. He tried to explain that it was the wrong question, but was repeatedly told to answer yes or no and was warned that he would be held in contempt of court if he refused. In the end he was forced to give an answer which led to the driver who caused the fatality getting away with it.

 

[slowmotion]

Now, if anybody had a video on plasterboard manufacture....

Your lucky day dell...


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]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_71QdgyIS8[/media]