The two stupidest things you could say at work

Ozan Onay — 22 Apr 2011
  1. "Me too... I do not have a specific point to raise, rather I wish to restate the existing proposition in order to 1) show that I'm paying attention; and, 2) signal that I understand the subject matter well enough to form superficially sensical sentences in relation to it. I would also like to align myself with the proposition, as I seek the reputation capital that may result from the proposition being perceived as valuable. I am aware that I am wasting my colleagues' time, but this is a small price to pay to advance my personal position."
  2. "I disagree... While there is little substance to my contention, I would like to make it anyway, in order to 1) show that I'm paying attention; and 2) signal that I understand the subject matter well enough to form superficially sensical sentences in relation to it. I would like to distance myself from the person who originally made the proposition, as I feel she lacks internal political support and fear the result of aligning my reputation with hers. I also feel it is more important to signal my critical thinking skills than to advance the discourse."