Spin--a particular bias, interpretation, or point of view, intended to create a favorable (or sometimes, unfavorable) impression when presented to the public.
~In this year of all campaigning all the time, it's impossible to get away from 'spin'. It's troubling enough in the political sphere, but when it starts to be applied to my own life, it's even worse. In the last week or so I've become keenly aware that my boss is spinning certain details about my job to justify some decisions he's made. It's not harmful to me in the long run (and so maybe I shouldn't care?) but I feel a bit manipulated and used, and I don't like it. And it puts me in the position of answering questions about my future plans in a less than perfectly honest way, which I also don't like. But there's not one thing I can do about it.
~Part of the spin is about some details in my contract. My understanding of those details is based on a conversation I very vividly remember having with him when I was offered the position; his understanding is apparently different, although he's never bothered to actually have a conversation with me about it. What I have learned from this (and some things that have come up in the past) is the realization that every detail, every jot and tittle needs to be in writing. The irony of this situation is that there never would have been any conflict over these details but he felt the need to spin them anyway.
~Yes, I feel a little bitter about this and I need to get over it. It's not worth wasting any more of my energy over. But it's hard not to be really, really annoyed.
2 comments:
I know exactly what you mean. I was hired as an assistant professor to "teach organic chemistry," but suddenly I find out that my position is supposed to cover another class HALF the time, and I was not told that it would be such a significant part of my teaching load. It steams me. But, like you said, nothing about what I would teach is in my contract. I have no leg to stand on in complaining. But I'm a little bitter- organic is my specialty and the other class nobody wants to teach...
I imagine being irritated about this stuff is a natural progression in your discernment process, too. Although spin is definitely obnoxious.
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