# To all my friends and family who told me I'd do well on my comprehensive exams... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 5, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370 "2009-11-05T01:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370/81 "2009-11-07T08:05:57Z")
> [@SandyHook](#): > > That’s the spirit. > > If you’d have only came to me I would have looked you right in the eye and reminded you what a short peckered, premature ejaculating, gay donkey lover, sub-prime return getting, low income, Yugo driving, thinning hair inept you really are. > > That way you’d have felt much better about getting as far as you have. I am doing something about the thinning hair… ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370/82 "2009-11-07T08:50:39Z")
> [@statsman1982](#): > > Here is an honest-to-god question: Do you and all the people here who keep calling me out for being ass (which I was in the OP) not realize that I’ve made several posts (including this one) since declaring that I was, indeed, in the wrong and that I do appreciate well wishes (I appreciate well wishes)? > > Am I not playing this game right? Should I be rabidly defensive of my OP and continue posting in that vein? Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Even before I read the clarifications and reevaluations, it was clear to me that you don’t actually despise your friends and family, and were frustrated by what seemed like blind and infuriating optimism. We all hate hearing “Everything’s great!” when things are clearly not. Not the most thoroughly planned and weighed OP in the world, but the idea that people couldn’t understand where you were coming from is just silly. Best wishes to you. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370/83 "2009-11-07T10:13:08Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Don’t worry about it, kiddo. Even before I read the clarifications and reevaluations, it was clear to me that you don’t actually despise your friends and family, and were frustrated by what seemed like blind and infuriating optimism. We all hate hearing “Everything’s great!” when things are clearly not. Not the most thoroughly planned and weighed OP in the world, but the idea that people couldn’t understand where you were coming from is just silly. > > Best wishes to you. Heck, one of the primary purposes for the pit is to vent. If I really thought people were as angry and irrational in real life as they are in here, I would have left a long time ago. As for the rest–well, another point of the Pit is to respond as jerkishly as possible to rants you think are stupid. So these people are actually agreeing with your assessment of the situation. I’m actually surprised so many people are being so nice–apparently they are smart enough to realize that you don’t need to be criticized when you are feeling down. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370/84 "2009-11-07T18:36:59Z")
And what makes “you’ll do GREAT! You’re so smart, you could write the tests!” remarks even worse is IF you don’t do great. It’s like you have fallen from even a greater height. Which is one good reason to NOT give false, superficial assurances to anyone. I am struggling right now to learn a new job. I KNOW I suck at some of it. I also know I am smart and capable etc. Doesn’t make the sucky parts easier one bit. And it doesn’t help to be told by others that “of course you’ll be head of the department in less time than it takes to tell.” Um, no I won’t. 1. I don’t want to and 2. there are any number of better qualified, more experienced people than me to do that job. I’m busy drowning in my current position, don’t push more “glory” on to me right now. Hang in there. I hope the second oral part goes well for you. Could it be that one person smells blood in the water? Never underestimate the cruelty of people in power. Just one of my lil’ credos… Go down fighting, if you must go down. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-my-friends-and-family-who-told-me-id-do-well-on-my-comprehensive-exams/516370.md?page=4)