Competence? Goodbye!

Column Competence creates routine and therefore a problem. - Therefore: If you are overcome by skill, leave!
Bald head, belly and competence. All imperceptibly, without you realizing it.
would have encouraged or noticed. Suddenly there is this undefined zone
around the waist and the indefinable aura of skill. God knows why,
You know the score.

You can get over a belly and a bald head, especially in our profession.
People in the text business are rarely physical wonders, otherwise they would be
not in this profession,
that was created for us Cyrano de Bergerac types. Because nobody
sees the nose of the guy behind the computer: "You don't have to be pretty.
but only write beautifully.

Competence, however, is a real problem. Of course it has pleasant
pages to finally know what you are doing: knowing dossiers,
Previous histories and first names of important people, all the pitfalls, all the
Tricks, etc. In the beginning, the ability feels quite chic, just like the
first suit: a smart suit of armor made of silk, guarantor of the
Inviolability.

However, the first problem with expertise discovered overnight is,
that misunderstandings suddenly arise everywhere. They become
are suddenly no longer understood. And for one simple reason
Reason: Until now, you have been an impostor. And have done everything you can to
to hide: imposing vocabulary, learned during the night, learned during the session
facts shaken out of the sleeve, all served with the aggressive
The looseness of the defenceless - you know. And the blindness of the
Thank goodness all this was successful. Now suddenly it's not working
more, and that's because unfortunately you really have something on your mind.
have: You overwhelm your colleagues with an overkill of facts,
Soundness and formulations. The response to their proposals is
Then: applause and silence. You will be admired, hated, but not
understand more.

This problem can be solved with a little discipline: Wise silence
often. And not because they have realized that there is nothing important
would have to say. But because they know that, in the other case, they have a
get into a lot of unnecessary trouble.
The real problem with competence is that you, Mbwana, live with it
have to be like office lists with a suit: day after day. Always the same
tested, in-depth opinions of the same gray-haired
head. Competence frees you from fear, doubt, professional
Achilles' heels, sure, but it puts routine in place of the
adventure.

That's why you should regularly do something about skills. Unfortunately
journalists can rarely change careers, most of them have
learned nothing decent. (And corporate PR is not the
job that children wish for in school essays). But switching
The department changed: some of the cleverest political journalists wrote
earlier for culture, hard-researching cultural journalists would be a
Sensation, ex-sports journalists are welcome in any department. Not
not least because readers are no different from the viewers in the
Circus Maximus: You appreciate the barely perceptible, but for a drama
the indispensable smell of sweat, blood and innocence that a beginner
in the ring.

So, Mbwana, never specialize! No dossier, no
department, it doesn't matter. And if it does happen that you lose the ability
comes over you, go. Well, I for one will stick to it and
change genre, from commentaries and columns in the
Daily journalism. I don't know if I can do that: Doubts are
justified, fear too. One thing is certain: what I can expect for the foreseeable future
can no longer do is a competent advice column. So, Mbwana,
this is my last column. Live wisely, happily and
incompetent!

Constantin Seibt has been editor at the Tages-Anzeiger since January 1, 2006.