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On Mon, May 03, 2004 at 05:56:17PM +0200, Johan Hiemstra wrote:
> Do you ever write something down and immediately think it is good, great
> even? So good that it doesn't even matter if anyone else will ever read
> it? Just having it written, the choice of words, as if it were meant to
> be written by you? As if nobody could have done it better even though
> you do realize there is always a better writer somewhere?
That happens to me all the time. But that's not arrogance. That's
pride in your work, and the ability to put your own voice and
creativity in what is normally a rather dull and tedious job.
Its a good thing. Embrace it. Enjoy it.
Arrogance is when you get attached to your writing, when you don't
let an editor touch those sentences because they are YOURS and they
are PERFECT, or even worse when you don't want to change them
when it is pointed out that they may be crafted perfectly but you got
the facts wrong. Arrogance would be when you think that because you can
turn a phrase pretty well once in a while that you are the best tech
writer ever and that this means you can take more time or more care
than the average writer on that 500-page manual that's due next week.
Or if you think you don't have to talk to your engineers to get your
work done; the simple quality of your writing will overcome the fact
that you don't actually know what you're talking about.
By all means, cherish those little moments of textual brilliance.
Then shut up and get back to work.
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