Business etiquette

When JB of the Fraters and Emily Post collide:

Another important shortcoming of many business women is an inability to be impersonal–for instance being unable to take a criticism of their work without feeling that is a personal affront.

Man, how times have changed. What anachronistic garbage–working women fussing with themselves, talking too much and not taking criticism well!

I think perhaps men might be more concerned about fielding accusations of mysogyny if they weren’t hurled at every simple and factual observation. Familiarity in this case breeds indifference; I’m totally inured to it now. And then, of course, there’s the inherent irony when a frothing-mad woman angrily denies that women cannot receive criticism without taking it personally.

Some women can. But they are few, all too few indeed. And be honest, how many of the female regulars here can truly stand to have their boss toss something they’ve done on their desk and say “this is a piece of s—, what the Hell were you thinking?” without feeling upset for the rest of the day? Is your first response to focus on how your boss is a jerk because of the way he informed you that your work was sub-standard or to focus on how you can fix it so it won’t be?