Price of pride can be deathly costly.

Here's a lesson to everyone: Please don't think you're invincible over the net, email, forum or otherwise. It's not just your own toe you might stomp on.

Let me explain.

Recently, a friend came across this finance question whereby the answer scheme (as always, we university students have a system of circling full answers to textbook questions around the school) was a little dubious, and when she asked me I didn't understand what was going on either (my finance isn't exactly splendid... quite the opposite).

So I told her that it was best she emailed our prof. So she did, cc-ed to me, and the prof gave the same answer in the answer scheme. With a little clarification as to the dubious bit, the prof eventually gave us the correct answer with his apologies. And for a chinese, that's already plugging out a lot of your pride, especially if you're the authority.

And like all little chinese "indignants", my friend just HAD to go a gloat about it with (or to be exact, "gloat about it to", since I had no part in the gloating, and to be honest I quite like this prof) me via email.

And guess what? She accidentally sent it to the Prof too.


First and foremost, it is suicide to even send a gloat about a professor using the school email. It stays in the school system and is easily trackable, even if it wasn't sent to the prof in question.

Secondly, don't EVER think that a prof is stupid enough to believe that your email had been beyond your control. You think a person scores a Phd by luck? Of course not.

Thirdly and most importantly, don't EVER bitch about somebody who took the time during his off-work hours on a bloody Sunday to answer your question, complete with highlights in important points, and who did it TWICE with apologies on the 2nd round.


So despite the fact that I did not share her sentiments in the first place, I'm now pulled into the water. I'm really starting to wish that I didn't check the email before going to bed; I can't begin to think about how these thoughts are going to affect me in tomorrow's exam. I just hope Prof will agree to my request to meet him for an apology in person after the exams. It's not likely though.