Timothy Ferriss, in his book "The 4-Hour Workweek" gave perhaps some of the best advice I've heard in years and had me laughing today.
He said that while in college, anytime any teacher or instructor gave him any grade of less than an A, he would either visit that instructor in their office after class or at some other time shortly after the grading and go over each and every mistake, point, question of decision, etc., and that he'd make sure that he compiled enough questions and discussion points to make the meeting last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.
He said this strategy had two outcomes:
1. It helped him to thoroughly learn the teacher's grading technique, mindset, outlook, viewpoints, and prejudicies.
2. It caused the instructor to become much more careful and to think long and hard before finding something that Tim submitted for an answer to be false unless there was truely some firm ground in which the teacher could reasonably count the question wrong and defend their position.
I not only found this advice to be highly valuable, but I also found it hysterical and I laughed out loud after hearing it, several times. I'm grinning as I type this. It made my day.
I'm also thinking about how to apply this elsewhere. In the work environment, for example, persons (including me) are evaluated in writing. Where else could this strategy be applied? I'm not talking about making up false questions, but seriously, honing and training those in authority over you to be careful and to make sure they aren't messing with the outcome of your life through their ratings or comments unless they really have a point and are on firm ground.
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