This is turning out to be a great thread. Lots of nice, smart people making meaningful, honest remarks.
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Common courtesy and politeness are sometimes maligned as political correctness and being too sensitive. There are some unfortunate individuals that never learned the value of diplomacy and therefore incorrectly view it as a sign of weakness. Those that are able to communicate without insulting and offending others are at a distinct advantage in this world. Those that are not often fail to recognize how many opportunities they miss when people just refuse to include them.
I am encouraged that as a society we are continuing to evolve socially. When I see people ridicule others for expecting common courtesy it is an indication that they are uncomfortable with our changing society. It's a process.
Arrogance on the other hand is an indication of lack of self confidence. We can perhaps help these people by assuring them that they are indeed good enough to deserve our respect rather than fall into the trap of wanting to tear them down which only makes them try harder to inflate their own image. This being human stuff isn't all that easy.
I was always amazed at the number of men who told me they were former Navy SEALS. I would think that would be something they would probably want to keep classified. Also, none of them looked as if they could have ever been in shape to pass a Navy diving class.
I know the person who for years was the only GUE instructor in Hawaii, and she gave me a rec pass 1st time out. Though admittedly it was not in Hawaii, maybe it’s an island thing.I have a friend who is the NAUI rep for Hawaii. She was on the WKPP, dove with GI3 and is a NAUI IT. Most assuredly not a stroke. She was bounced from her fundies class. Her instructor said "No one passes the first fundies class". I guess it's a thing.
The most arrogant divers I meet, are the photographers with big expensive cameras. Always looking down on people that just have a normal one, thinking they are new divers, that they will be in their way, stir up the sand, make it impossible for them to make the money shot. Sometimes I feel like going and just do that then... Be in their way the whole time...
Ask them what their BUD/S class number was.I was always amazed at the number of men who told me they were former Navy SEALS. I would think that would be something they would probably want to keep classified. Also, none of them looked as if they could have ever been in shape to pass a Navy diving class.
I've enjoyed almost everything about diving since I started. I liked the classes, the novelty and newness of it all, and find an enduring enjoyment and sense of wonder in the underwater experience. There have been minor setbacks -- mistakes, dives that weren't fun, gear that didn't work out, times I felt I'd been ripped off -- but nothing serious or enduring.
Except the arrogance.
It was worst when I was considering diving and had just started. I ran into it at one of the LDSs, where the employee was not taking seriously my questions about gear since I had not completed my certification. I've run into it on boats and other groups of divers. So many divers want to talk about how deep they've dived, how little air they use, and other things that they perceive as accomplishments. Dealing with people in the dive industry, I've encountered egos so large they are incapable of entertaining the idea that, perhaps, they may have made a mistake at some point. I encounter technical divers, cave divers, and rebreather divers who seem to think that people curious about their specialty should be seen not heard.
I've always aspired to the sort of quiet competence demonstrated by airmen like Chesley Sullenberger, who was initially dismissive of his personal role in the safety of all on board when he was at the controls of the flight that had to ditch in the Hudson River.
What is it about the diving culture that leads to this sort of hubris?
Why fill students' heads with information they may never use, will likely forget,