[Martin Taylor 950206 15:30]
Rick Marken (950206.1230)
Just to show Rick that his messages do sometimes get through...
the captain of my team tells me: "your responsibility is to cover
Smith, over there".
...
I might not adopt it [the requested reference]
if, for example, I'm scared of being hurt by Smith.
...
If the captain is not cooperative...he'll say..."Loyalty to the
team requires that you cover Smith"
Reminds me of a story (sign of advancing old age, no doubt).
In the autobiography of one of the cricketing heroes of the 1930s,
he tells of an occasion when England were playing Australia (think
"World Series" and "All-Star game" wrapped into one and magnified).
In cricket, the captain of the fielding side determines from moment
where the fielders are to stand (if, of course, they accept that reference
level). On this occasion, one of the Australian batsmen had been hitting
well (which, in cricket, they can do for hours on end if they are good
enough not to be put out). The captain asked the fielder to go and
field at "silly short leg" (a real technical term--doesn't it make you
wish you played cricket?--roughly equivalent to asking the third baseman
to stand, or rather, squat, about 4 or 5 yards from the batter). The
fielder said something like "My God, skipper, he'll kill me." The captain
said "Yes, but what a death, and all for England." The fielder went
where he was asked (and was not killed, though people have been killed
fielding in that position).
Accepting reference levels depends on what higher perceptions are being
controlled. Would the fielder have taken the position if it had been a
village friendly game? Would the captain have asked him to?
Lots of interest in the responsibility-freedom discussion. No time to
intrude adequately. But question about freedom... Does everyone have the
freedom to buy a 60ft yacht and keep it moored in Cannes?
Martin