I'm always a sucker for lists, and for SelfImprovement advice. Combine the two and you've got me in nirvana! Gretchen Rubin in her "Twelve Tips to Avoid Seeming Like an Arrogant, Know-It-All Jerk" [1] of 19 Dec 2007 provides excellent suggestions. In brief:

1. Offer meaningful compliments
2. Give credit to others
3. Ask questions and allow others to supply information
4. Admit error
5. Remember other people's names and the details of their lives
6. Call on others for their specific contributions
7. Laugh at yourself
8. Refuse to take offense
9. Teasing
10. Remember your limits
11. Don't be a bore
12. Be courteous to others, no matter who they are

Of the assortment my big favorites are numbers 7, 8, 10, and 12. I gently disagree with #9 and find several of the rest redundant, trivial, or too office-centric. Nevertheless, the list is a good start. In expanding on #12, Ms. Rubin notes, "William Lyon Phelps wrote, 'The final test of a gentleman is his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him.'" — which brings to mind the inimitable Cardinal Newman "Definition of a Gentleman".

_{TopicLife - 2007-12-24}

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