Learning and meta-learning

To my way of thinking, one of the first casualties of our politically polarized culture is the ability to learn from those we don't particularly like. Liking someone and respecting someone's talents don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. One of the things that appeals to me about working in technology is that it's easier to spot someone who's attempting to get by on buzzwords and glad-handing. It's not that those folks are necessarily unnecessary: In fact, they can be extremely useful as "buffer states" between the people who actually add value and the martinets/gatekeepers/empire-builders/sychophants/flunkies/loose-cannons and other organzational parasites. As long as they're functioning in that capacity, no self-respecting, self-aware geek should object to their place on the team--all other things being equal, of course.

I've been fortunate to work among more people that I've liked than I've disliked, and the number I've actively despised would probably fill two hands' worth of fingers, if that. But if you're stuck working for or with someone you have come to thoroughly despise, you can work on takin away something that might come in handy after you've figured out how to extricate yourself from that situation. Otherwise, it's just wasted time. And who, really, has time to waste? Learning how to work through the resentment/frustration/anger/outrage enough to learn that "something" is the meta-lesson. That which you actually take away from the experience is the lesson itself. Even when the lesson involves very detailed instruction in how not to be that person, it's still a lesson. That means you (ultimately) win. It may be the only victory, and it may be a tad on the Pyhrric side, but it still parks in the "W" column.

(In case it matters, I'm talking from past, rather than present experience just now. In other words, this isn't venting in disguise.)