I got an email from an anonymous coward (email bounced) saying that it’s wrong to use a div in the headers. Gee, really?
Excuse my ‘tude. I appreciate it when people write in about a mistake of mine, but not when they do it anonymously and with a finger shaking attitude that says, “Wrong-o, buster!” Naturally, it puts a person on the defensive.
Once a person wrote a harsh email about a Web site where I was one of a handful of people who was cc’d on email sent from readers. I wrote a reply as if I had a smile on my face (not a smirk, mind you) and thanked the person. He immediately apologized for his tone and followed with a few pleasant words.
It’s tempting — I’ve been there and I’ve given in a few times — to write a hurtful email to someone who aggravates you. It’s an awful feeling that seems like it won’t go away until you speak your mind. Doing so never has a happy ending while a positive response can. You never know if you and that person cross paths again. Better to cross it on amicable terms.
When running into a difficult situation, my mom takes her five-year test of time. She asks, “Will it matter five years from now?” I wish it were that easy. A situation has bugged me for a while now and my nerves won’t let go. I haven’t acted on it and don’t plan to. Perhaps, writing an email or letter that you never send could help. This didn’t work for me. I just stay busy, which keeps me from thinking about it too often.
What timing. I read the following Slovakian proverb while writing this.
“Anger is the only thing to put off till tomorrow.”
Indeed.
1 thought on “Email Criticism”
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I think it was Abe Lincoln who spoke about writing a letter, putting it in an envelope, addressing it, … and then puting it into the fire as a method of handling this. It feels as if you are mailing it, but it never gets out of the office, even though you do feel better.
There is also the story of Harry Truman (?) who would put such letters into a desk drawer.
Of course there is the story of the person who took that advice and accidentally mailed the letter (or his secretary saw the envelope and put it with the rest of the day’s mail).
In any case, using a handwritten letter might work better than email because of the time and effort involved.