
Unless You're Changing It, Quit Your Bitchin' - JangoSteve
http://jangosteve.com/post/413955281/unless-youre-changing-it-quit-your-bitchin
======
wglb
What wasn't part of the headline is something quite important: _then I am
truly sorry and I will be here for you and listen to everything you have to
say._

~~~
stingraycharles
Except that that part is only about things you truly can't change, - which
isn't applicable to a lot of bitching, since people rarely bitch about things
they can't change.

~~~
abstractbill
_people rarely bitch about things they can't change_

That's not my experience, at all. As far as I can tell, people bitch about
_everything_ they don't like - whether they can change it or not. It can be
cathartic, and some people seem to _need_ to bitch about stuff, even when they
know they can and will do something about it later.

~~~
JangoSteve
I agree. And like the article says, I have no problem listening to people
bitch about things they can't change. Sometimes, the world can suck.

------
idlewords
What I'm bitching about: self-help style articles posted by their authors

What I'm doing to change it: pressed "flag"

~~~
JangoSteve
I was also very conscientious of that, but the general consensus of the HN
community is that self-posts are completely acceptable (or even preferred).

(see thread <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1016713>)

Concerning the content of the article, if people don't like it, they won't
vote it up.

~~~
mhartl
I think you mean s/contentious/conscious/. But you're right: self-posts are
definitely acceptable. At least, given my submission history, they had better
be. ;-)

~~~
JangoSteve
Oops, actually I meant conscientious. Thanks though!

~~~
idlewords
It's /conscientious about/, which you seem to have confused with /conscious
of/.

~~~
JangoSteve
Both "of" and "about" are correct in this case. See definitions (9) and (10)
of the word, "of."

<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of>

In the English language, "of" and "about" can be used _more or less_ as
synonyms with only subtle differences. E.g. "I heard about the play," or, "I
heard of the play." "The play was about peace and love," or "The play was of
peace and love."

~~~
idlewords
Compare:

You are wrong about English usage

You are wrong of English usage

~~~
JangoSteve
That is one example of improper use (hence the _more or less_ ). However,
"conscientious of" is an example of proper use.

~~~
pvg
Except it isn't. Google both. You'll see the proper use and a bunch of people
confusing it with 'conscious of', just like you do.

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscientious>

Try it with the synonyms. You can't be meticulous or scrupulous of something -
just like 'conscientious'.

~~~
JangoSteve
Actually, you very well can be meticulous, scrupulous, or careful of
something. Again, see definition (5a) of the word, "of."

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of>

5a: relating to: about <stories of her travels>

That being said, I will probably say "conscientious about" from now on as a
result of this conversation, just in case people really do have a problem with
"conscientious of." However, "conscientious of" is an acceptable usage.

~~~
pvg
No, you can't. You can link how 'of' can be used to construct a nonsensical
phrase all day long. It's still nonsensical. That being said, learn the
language. 'Conscientious of' is an acceptable usage in a stubborn imaginary
world in which usage is subordinate to your preference.

~~~
JangoSteve
At this point, I think this thread has gone way too far of course, but I'll
give clarification one more attempt.

I think the confusion here is in neglecting the various definitions of the
word, "conscientious," in combination with the aforementioned definition of
the word, "of." In terms of _being guided by conscience_ , or of _being
thorough and assiduous_ (two possible definitions), I agree that being
"conscientious of" something makes absolutely no sense.

However, it can also mean to be _careful_ (more along the lines of my
intentions), in which case using "of" certainly makes sense, as you can be
careful of some idea. Perhaps next time I comment, I'll just say "careful" to
avoid the confusion.

Furthermore, it's important to remember that English is an ambiguous language.
Part of the beauty (and perhaps the downside) of the language is that there
are no rules, only guidelines (this is a good article on the subject:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/books/01book.html>). The best we can do is
to know our audience and tailor our language to most effectively communicate
our message. If nothing else, this thread has at least taught me something of
my audience (something I should have known: that we are all very detail-
oriented and so care must be taken in our communication). Perhaps saying
"conscientious of" was not the best and most effective use of the word, but to
say it's "wrong" or unacceptable I think is quite naive.

------
bugs
Meh bitching helps, if I mess up an exam I was supposed to do good on because
of obscure notation I forgot to study but I understood the concepts and
solution better than anyone damn straight I am going to bitch.

I can't change the past but I can remember what to do next time and that
bitching will help me remember.

Though my form of bitching may differ from others.

~~~
JangoSteve
In your case, bitching _is_ changing things then, just as the article
mentioned. I agree that at times, bitching helps.

------
rogermugs
the only problem is that this is just how women think.

they want to feel the problem for a while... not fix it. notice thats how the
post was inspired.

~~~
rogermugs
dont vote down the truth just because you're a member of said gender.

