Hah!
I've been quoting Michael's creed for 20 years, and wondering whose quote it was. It seems to be quite an unusual concept here in France and possibly elsewhere in the world, where the principle is « if you want something, get it yourself ».
I also encounter a corollary concerning understanding and misunderstanding. After a mistake has been made, and attributed to a prior misunderstanding due to language difficulties, the reaction is often « well, you should have asked if you did not understand ». The problem of course is that the person in error MISunderstood.
My corollary to Michael's principle is contained in a question and answer. In any exchange of information, who is best placed to ensure that it succeeds: the person who has the information to pass on or the person who does not have the information and wants it?
To me, the answer is obvious but not everybody agrees.
Too optimistic by half, I fear; we cannot ensure understanding. All we can do is avoid putting unnecessary obstacles in the way. Or, as I first put it more than 20 years ago: "It is not the reader's responsibility to understand; it is the writer's responsibility to be clear."
- Michael
On 20 March 2012 13:07, Terry Dowling < Terrence.Dowling@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > wrote:
We should not write so that it is possible for the reader to understand us, but so that it is impossible for him to misunderstand us. -Quintilian (Marcus Fabius Quintilianus), rhetorician (c. 35-100)
==
I bet this guy would have enjoyed being amongst some of our email debates.
Cheers,
Terry
