"It's like saying Ann Coulter lives in New York City, thus [New York City] produces right-wing lunatics." - Ann Coulter, on moral degeneracy in Red States
Can anybody think of a word/term that describes the following:
Let's say there's one thing that you're very good at and another thing that you're very bad at. When you work at becoming better with the thing you're bad at, the thing you're good at begins to suffer.
There has to be a word that fits this and I can't think of what it may be.
Also, I heard some sports talk show host refer to a recent guest they had who was a golf writer and analyst. He said that this expert had a theory in which golfers with a specific flaw in their game would compensate for that flaw and consequently would develop OTHER flaws as a result of those compensations. This seems like something that's not just exclusive to golf but encompasses life as well. Does anyone have a word for this?
reggie [email] said at 2:30 PM 07-17-2006: Well I was hoping it would wind up being something cool-sounding to use as a potential title but also, just a single word that defines this.
katie [email] said at 2:32 PM 07-17-2006: you might could substitute the medical term for what happens when blind people develop super-acute hearing. not that i know that word, either.
seth [email] said at 3:06 PM 07-17-2006: The first thing that comes to mind is how kids with controlling parents will be way too uncontrolling to the point where their kids won't even feel loved because not enough attention or order is given to them. And visa versa.. the generation switch. In many ways, the word you're looking for causes you not to become your father, but to become your grandfather.
woody [email] said at 3:13 PM 07-17-2006: Homer: But every time I learn something new, it pushes out something old! Remember that time I took a home wine-making course and forgot how to drive?
Marge: That's because you were drunk!
Homer: And how!
brandon [email] said at 4:06 PM 07-17-2006: There's actually a pretty good yiddish word for a similar concept to this, it's not an exact fit, but it's pretty close: 'farpotshket' which includes the idea of an initial, misguided attempt to correct a small solvable problem that creates greater, insoluble problems.
brandon [email] said at 5:00 PM 07-17-2006: I don't have much truck with proverbs, aphorisms and other assorted nuggets of received common sense. But, there's a shitload of truth in my experience to the idea that "a cheap man pays twice."
myriam [email] said at 5:01 PM 07-17-2006: Yeah, that's a more to-the-point way of saying it. And, I agree wholeheartedly. It's the kind of thing you see over and over and over again in the construction industry. Most aphorisms, are, well, things that give boring people something to say.
reggie [email] said at 4:14 PM 07-17-2006: That's great! I mean, it's not what I'm looking for but it's in the ballpark at least. Phew, Brandon to the rescue...kinda.
reggie [email] said at 4:42 PM 07-17-2006: Of course there's always this:
vicious circle (cycle)
n.
1. A situation in which the apparent solution of one problem in a chain of circumstances creates a new problem and increases the difficulty of solving the original problem. Also called vicious cycle.
2. A condition in which a disorder or disease gives rise to another that subsequently affects the first.
3. Logic A fallacy in reasoning in which the premise is used to prove the conclusion, and the conclusion used to prove the premise.
But it can't be it though, that's too easy. Vicious circle/cycle describes a situation, I'm talking about more or an action or condition.
jake [email] said at 1:56 PM 07-18-2006: Zero Sum Game is an actual and somewhat different concept in Game Theory. It describes games like heads-up poker where your winnings are identical to your opponent's losings and vice versa.
