The Laughing Wolf

Disproving A Negative

Yesterday, I was informed that I had lost out on a job I wanted very much. It would have been fun, challenging, and with a very good company. It was the type of job and the type of company where you could stay for years, or even an entire career. In short, it was everything I could have wanted in a job. The kick in the teeth, however, is that I may have lost it because I could not disprove a negative.

Proving a positive is easy. If you claim that you went to a college, prove it by showing a transcript. Say that you earned a certificate in International Marketing and Management, and be prepared to show a copy of said certificate. In short, you can easily prove what you say, or equally you can be easily proven a liar.

Disproving a negative is a real challenge however. How can you prove that you won’t be tempted away from a job by another? You can point to the fact that you really like the company, and think that the job is a great one that is perfect for shifting career gears. You can point out that your last two major jobs were not left voluntarily, with a company going away and a contract ending hardly things that you engineered simply to leave a job.

This applies to many other things, however, and in watching the feeding frenzy, I mean some of the press questions tonight, I was reminded of this. Take a look at most of the questions being asked of the President and others by the Old Media. Take a moment to look at the logic behind them. Again, I ask, how do you disprove a negative?

May you not be approaching other issues in life the same way? Are you placing others in the position of disproving a negative?

Just some food for thought.

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