A personal apology from me.

[Greg Cooksley]

Hey Andy,

Like the others have said, I'm not aware of the incident that
precipitated this thread but....

Good on you for responding to the feeling that you needed to
apologise.....

It takes a real man or woman to admit that they are wrong...

If you know that you have offended someone, it's up to you to
make it right.....it sets you free of any seeds of bitterness
and resentment etc

Well done Andy...

Regards

Greg

[Joseph Then]

With so many responses to your post, Andy, you should feel loved by now right?

[Paul Myers]

Andy,

I'm sure many people feel the same, however there's obviously a fine line between harsh truth and when you start to offend people.

I'm not at all sure of that. Many people find the truth, if it disagrees with them or challenges them, to be offensive. You can't worry about those people. Tell the truth and let them decide how they're going to take it.

By the way, one of the funnier sites I've seen in a long time has a page on the subject: #101 Being Offended Stuff White People Like

For the record, I don't recall ever seeing a post from you that I thought carried an uncalled for tone.

Dennis,

Warning: if you are easily affended or can't handle the truth please skip this reply...

[chuckle] I used a subject line very much like that today. It's sort of like a "wet paint" sign. You know you sahouldn't touch the bench, but you do anyway.


Paul

[Angela V. Edwards]

In other words, Steven, Andy's quite a bit like you.

I also know that you will tell people how it is too, Steven. You won't mince words. If there is a problem with someone's product or delivery, you will tell them exactly what that problem is and how they can make it better. Steven Wagenheim is also one of the "straight talkers".

[kf]

Andy - If you say 'sorry' again, you'll probably qualify for Canadian citizenship!

Oh, sorry ... didn't mean to say that out loud.

[Steven Fullman]

Funny enough, Andy, I was searching on "Frank Kern" today...

I found a post by you on some obscure BB.

You were just as honest and sincere then as you are now. You're making a decent living online...THAT is an inspiration.

Personally, I've never known you to be 'negative'...only realistic. Nowt wrong with that.

In fact, I'm looking forward to shaking your hand and buying you a pint at a UK gig...one of these days.

Steve

[Lance K]

Andy...YOU'RE THE MAN!!!

Next time you feel like making a post that might offend some of the weaker stomached among us, drop me a line and I'll make reference to clubbing baby seals.

That outta divert some of the negative attention away from your moments of truth.

[privateye2500]

Originally Posted by Asher

Hi Andy,

Straight-talking is fine except that sometimes, it's better to do it with
tact, or some diplomacy skills. Which I'm sure you have plenty of =D

I agree with Lesley with harsh truth and sweet lies.

With the newbies, gentle truth. For the more advanced, harsh truth.
If they don't take it, there's no issue for you, is there? Since you're
telling it as is.

Asher

Not sometimes, ALL the time

And so far as harsh truth and sweet lies - the world isn't black and white - it does and shouldn't be EITHER one.

Melanie

[RobinSkeen]

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Nobody here really cares if tonight is my last night on earth.

Straight talk or not, don't tell me what I care about Steven! You always say something like that and it always bugs me. Stop already! I would miss you terribly.


Andy, I sometimes find you to be a bit caustic, though never downright rude.

However, I would never trade the truth from a straight talker for sweet nothings in my ear.

[jcmentor]

I'm not sure who said it, but I read it a long time ago. Something like...
"Live life happily without explanation or apology." YEAH!!!

All the best,

Jack

[Paul Myers]

Melanie,

Not sometimes, ALL the time

I'm not at all convinced of that.

It depends on your goal. If it is to convince or educate the person to whom you're responding, tact is usually a more effective approach, yes.

If your purpose is to discourage a particularly bad practice, as well as make it uncomfortable for someone to continue doing/teaching that practice, straight out, harsh truth is often much more effective.

There is also the (admittedly uncommon) case of someone who is an habitual jerk. They don't deserve tact, and shouldn't get it.


Paul

[John M Kane]

Soooooooooo...Andy's the guy that made it rain on my picinic basket hey boo boo? And I thought it was Ranger Rick.

Sorry to hear you felt the need to give a "sorry my bad".
Good on ya!
Now...an entire hair suit! That would be sumpin'

Humble pie tastes like crap but, builds strong bodies 12 ways AND helps to keep us thinking...how powerful words can be. To comfort,to hurt, start a fight or a war, or even prevent one.

Call me Mr Regret or Mr Dumbass for crap-head things I've done. At 55 my list is a long one.
Here,occasionally a thread has "gone sour".
Then reading the venom fly made me feel sooooooooo frustrated.

Those words would almost never be said face to face.

Today though, reading THIS thread makes me glad again to be a member.

I've learned some and am starting to collect hair for my hair suit.
With two big dogs and me getting more follicly challenged I should be able to get my inseam measured by next Monday.

YouTube - can you feel the love tonight - elton...

[Lesley Huntley]

Originally Posted by Paul Myers

By the way, one of the funnier sites I've seen in a long time has a page on the subject: #101 Being Offended Stuff White People Like
Paul

Funny, I just bought this book, it's so brilliant. It's that uncomfortable humour, where you think, oh my, we DO do that don't we.

My brown friends get a real kick out of it too =)

[TedMarlett]

I can only see things from my perspective (it's the only one I have), so I rely on feedback in order to let me know when I'm not behaving in the way I would like to or that I aspire to.

Hi Andy,

All any of us can do is see from our own perspective in any thing we do.

We can try to look at things from another persons perspective, but we will not get it all because of our "different life experiences."

Collectively we say we understand what others are going through and what they think, but do we really? All that we do is a result of how we grew up and our experiences doing so.

We certainly can try to change our worldview, but in the back of our minds is the "real us" and we still relate to the world with "our" world view, be it old or new--it's all connected.

Unfortunately our views will upset other people. That's just the way life is when we speak our minds.

[Kat Bartone]

Hi Andy,

Seems that there are as many opinions in this thread as there are responders. Some have said keep the straight talk coming, others that they agree with your insight, others that some people might be too sensitive, etc.

I guess mine is simply this: it seems that you've taken to heart some feedback you've gotten from others, and that it may have held a ring of truth for you. Only you know if it 'feels' true. If it does, you've already taken the steps to change it. If it doesn't, don't worry about it.

Either way, good for you for what you've done here in this thread. Coming to terms with what we perceive to be limitations/things we don't like about ourselves/etc is not so easy even when undertaken privately, let alone in a public forum.

I think it's great that you've had the courage to do this. Thanks for making the warrior forum a stronger community with what you've shown here.

- Kat Bartone

[Good News Now]

I am so new to this forum. I got here just few days ago....but what I have read so far from you, Andy is a great content. Keep up a good work!

Derek, thanks for the videos about N. Korea.....wow!!!! very touching!

Vadimus