Just went on a camping trip for a class I am taking for my geology undergraduate. During one of the days we were out in the field as a group, the group wasn’t sure how to describe a layer of sediment and within earshot of the professor mentioned “well we could always ask Professor R”.
He heard me and questioned what I needed while he was working on an area of his own. I mentioned how we were unsure and he broke a piece of rock off and instructed me to test its grittiness, etc (which I already know how to do). When I made a decision he said okay cool and went back to what he was doing.
A woman who had joined us who JUST got her PHD and little experience compared to Professor R made some comment about me (or us) asking him. I could’nt hear everything that was said but I distinctly heard “Well you gotta know your own limitations”.
Not sure how to take this. Seems almost like an insult to be honest. I have a mind to bring it up and discuss it with him but not sure if I should just let it go. The thing is, I framed the question in terms of a white layer of chalk he was discussing earlier that was irrelevant to our sediment columns that supposedly were just evaporated salts from the lake. I was a little confused on what he was referring to (there was also white sediment in the layers), so I wanted him to clarify.
Any feedback on this would be appreciated. I really feel like if it was meant in an insulting manner, that I should call people out on their bullshit. I also feel like knowing how too choose your battles is important as well. What do you guys think? That “Colleague” of his seemed to be acting kind of arrogant the whole time, like she felt like a hotshot in front of us undergraduates because she finally landed her first REAL gig. So I don’t doubt she made some snotty comment.
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tl;dnr: went camping and in the field, colleague of our Professor made a remark about our work process and he responded with “Well you gotta know your limitations” when I asked him for help. Can’t decide if I should call him out on it.
3 comments
I’d let this one go. You didn’t hear the entire conversation and you can’t affirm that was directed at you specifically.
If you’re professor though you were really dense, he wouldn’t have asked what you thought. He would have just told you. Not to mention that there are many a conversation I’d have with Graduate students but not undergraduates because it would confuse the undergrad instead of clarifying information.
I’d let this go. You could have mis-heard something. Or he might be referring to the snooty grad student not knowing her own limitations. Or himself. He didn’t say “That guy doesn’t know his own limitations,” after all, he might have been discussing his playing baseball. You really shouldn’t assume they were discussing you personally unless you heard your own name mentioned. You’re just currently lacking too much information about the dialogue, but here’s a head’s up: most people spend most of their lives discussing themselves, not you. Most people will never think of you and have better things to do than harass you. It just seems like you’re being picked on because you don’t have enough context and dialogue, so your mind is filling in the gaps with what you assume is stuff about you. In a way, when you get anxious and worried, you gaslight yourself, assuming negatives where none are. Let it go.
Alright. Thanks for the insight. You guys are right and I did think of the possibility of things being misconstrued on my part. If I did go to him an say anything, I would have approached it in a non aggresive way, just basically asking him what he meant. I guess I took it like, “he should already be getting this by now” and maybe a misunderstanding of what I was asking on his part (he does this sometimes). I was on the fence though. After giving it more thought it doesn’t seem worth it. Thanks again for your input.