[duxup]

I've worked with so many folks who take things personally and then I don't know if they realize it but all sorts of possibilities are closed off to them because of their response.

My career started weirdly but at one point I wasn't put off by a grizzly old guy at my first 'real' job. He was a wealth of technical information and etc, but could be kinda rough around the edges. He wasn't mean by any means, just not friendly in an office of really friendly folks who took things personally too often IMO.

So many folks were sort of scared / avoided him. I made it my job to watch for what he liked folks bringing him and what he didn't, made notes... and in a year or so we got along great.

After a while people who had a lot more experience than me would bring things to me ... to take to grizzly guy.

Technically I wasn't nearly as skilled as most folks (maybe all), but I just didn't take technical things personally as they did and ended up being this gateway that management recognized was ultra useful / valuable. Anyone could have done it, but for social reasons people just didn't.