I think your distinction is the nuance that must've been lacking in what I'd read: the difference between acknowledging another's competence is independent of one's own visceral reaction -- versus reminding oneself. The latter, it seems to me, doesn't even really take into consideration that the visceral reaction may not even be warranted; the focus remains on whether the other person is competent.
Eh, when it comes to actual danger, that's a bit different. In that case, I'd probably be right with you in getting physically in the way. (My sister still hates me in a small way for that, I think.) What had me twigging was all the scenes in which the so-called danger amounted to 'those people are looking at him/her funny,' which to me just seems so patently ridiculous it's not even, well, funny.
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Date: 19 Sep 2008 06:38 pm (UTC)Eh, when it comes to actual danger, that's a bit different. In that case, I'd probably be right with you in getting physically in the way. (My sister still hates me in a small way for that, I think.) What had me twigging was all the scenes in which the so-called danger amounted to 'those people are looking at him/her funny,' which to me just seems so patently ridiculous it's not even, well, funny.