On: Design Patterns for Managing Up

[PaulHoule]

Sometimes when the "knives are out" you can't win or why would you want to?

[sosilkj → PaulHoule]

"why would you want to"

you want to if you have a mortgage payment each month, or there are people in your life who depend on you for food and clothing.

[lazyasciiart → PaulHoule]

Maybe you just don't want to get stabbed in the back before you get a new job.

[maxxxxx → PaulHoule]

at least you should try not to lose in that situation

[yeahitslikethat → PaulHoule]

We, the bold and productive, have to stand up to that kind of stuff. Else they by attrition.

[james_s_tayler → PaulHoule]

Well you at least don't want to bring a pillow to a knife fight.

[falcor84 → james_s_tayler]

Actually, wouldn't a pillow be a reasonably effective way to deflect a knife?

[james_s_tayler → falcor84]

I usually think of the metaphor in terms of bringing a knife to a pillow fight as a play on "that's like bringing a knife to a gun fight" in which case my formulation is about having an innocent bit of fun and then someone going way overboard and doing something absolutely inappropriate. I sort of picture it in my head like everyone is having fun and then someone whips out a knife and then everyone starts to get very terrified.

I never really considered how a pillow would actually hold up against a knife in a fight. My money would still be on the knife, but I take your point.