10/17/2011

You really can't teach an old dog new tricks...(idiom)

Today a bit pessimistically.
To start off, the topic of today's post: You can't teach an old dog new tricks which basically means that many people have fixed ideas about the world, a certain type of character or a habit that is difficult, or sometimes impossible to change.

To give an easy example: your grandmother may be very reluctant to learn how to use facebook or turn on the computer. For some, she is the perfect example of the "dog" that doesn't want to learn anything new (the new trick) which in this case is using the computer.

I have a friend, a very dear friend who is a wonderful human being - caring, helpful, trustworthy and would do anything to help you if you were in trouble, BUT he sucks at long distance communication (unfortunately, he lives quite far away from me so we can't easily communicate). The sad thing is, he suddenly becomes this totally different person: he seems to stop caring. Why is he "the dog"? Because explaining that contact is needed, and sending him countless e-mails doesn't work. He simply can't write long e-mails or keep in touch on a regular basis! and neither I nor anyone else can teach him to write more often. That's just not his style.
And I'm afraid, I have to accept it. It is a bitter pill to swallow but what else can I do?

Do you have similar experiences? with friends that don't stay in contact? or maybe you have other examples of "dogs not learning new tricks"? Tell me!!! (practice your English god damnit! :) )

_______

Glossary:
(adj) fixed - already decided and unable to be changed
(noun) reluctant - not willing (= unwilling)
(phrasal verb) to keep in touch with sb - to stay in contact
(idiom) A bitter pill to swallow - an unpleasant situation that simply needs to be accepted.

4 komentarze:

  1. The example with computer is really good. I had a similar situation not so far ago. My mom wanted to watch "Rozmowy w Toku" on TVNplayer, so she asked me to turn it for her. OK, that's good, but when I said that I showed her how to do it, she said she doesn't need it !

    Maybe something will change when she will have to use computer at work ;)

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  2. I'm the same with distance communication, I suck all the way. But I still consider myself as a perfect friend... is that ok? thanks God for facebook and skype, because I just can't write a long email, and I don't send messages every day. I didn't talk to my best friend for about month, but she knows that it doesn't mean that I don't care. It's just the way I'm. So I think you shouldn't worry that much, coz the fact that he doesn't reply to your emails doesn't mean that he is not caring... trust me;)
    btw I don't like being "the dog" in this case, but I hope that my friend will never doubt in our friendship coz of that..;)

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  3. Vintage, I think we are all "dogs" at some point in our lives :P Wow! that should be o a T-shirt :)

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  4. Krzysiek, if she ever has to use a computer, maybe she will get used to it :)

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