two fewer things to complain about

A couple of months ago I asked a colleague/friend about the undergraduate students he advises. His response has stayed with me. He said "I fancy myself busy, and I find that I don't give them adequate time and attention".

This is one of the most productive people I have ever met. Yet he was unwilling to say that he IS busy, only that he "fancies himself busy." In addition to being extraordinarily productive, he is also deeply humble. To say that he IS busy would be to suggest that he is important, and that's not a sentiment he is comfortable with. Lately when I think about how busy I am, I remember his humble response. And I chill out a bit. Busyness is often not an unfortunate condition of life, but self-flattery.

He continued about his students: "I have found that if I make my expectations clear, they will rise to the occasion. Most of the time when they don't meet my expectations, it is because I have not made my expectations clear."

He's right about this too. I love to blame things on my research assistants, but the truth is that if I make expectations clear, they really do step up and do what they are asked. Often what I think of as their failings are really mine.

One brief conversation with this man and I find that I'm not really comfortable complaining about how busy I am or the mistakes my research assistants make.

statistics

An understanding of statistics is an absolutely essential part of science. Not only that, but being familiar with rigorous statistical testing actually makes people better thinkers. Research has shown that people familiar with stats are less prone to certain kinds of judgment errors.

Having said that, statistics is the most poorly taught subject of any I’m familiar with. Chiefly to blame is the fact that the worst writers on the planet write statistics books. If the lecture is too boring (and it will be) or hard to understand (and it might be), good luck getting it from the book. I think the reason the books suck is that stats teachers don’t write for an audience of students wanting to learn statistics. They write for fellow PhD statisticians. Which is why each technique is P A I N S T A K I N G L Y buttressed by theory, proofs, and derivations.

It seems like the writers of most stats books would rather be seen as extremely rigorous than extremely helpful.

hiking sucks

I know that "cool" guys love to hike (and kayak, rappel, surf, etc). I don't. I'm not even a fan of walking. And I'm really not a fan of walking up a hill. Why would people intentionally set out to walk for an extended period of time...up a mountain or trail?

"Take a hike" is an insult for a reason. Hiking sucks.