中午，我和我家寶貝一起吃了個半筋半肉牛肉麵
因為早上十點 吃了個卡拉雞腿蛋漢堡，中午有點吃不下，所以我們合吃一碗
一邊吃著滷味+小菜+牛肉麵，一邊看youtube影片 天才主廚頂尖對決看著看著，就想到了往事
The Arrogance of a Genius
At noon today, I shared a bowl of half-beef, half-tendon noodles with my beloved.
Since we had already had a Kara chicken thigh and egg burger around 10 a.m., I wasn't super hungry—so we decided to split one bowl.
As we ate, we munched on some braised snacks and side dishes, and watched Battle of the Genius Chefs on YouTube.
Partway through the video, memories started flooding back.
Funny how the past sneaks up on you like that.
I think it was my fifth year in the industry when it happened.
A friend—also an English teacher—asked me to help him train some new hires. He was venting to me about how “these new apprentices can't handle pressure,” how they “barely last three months before quitting,” and how things were so much tougher “back in our day.”
He asked me and another senior teacher to join him in mentoring a group of newbies.
And that experience?
It taught me a valuable lesson:
Some people make great friends, but terrible coworkers.
Why?
Because his way of mentoring just didn't sit right with me. Watching that YouTube video reminded me of him—like one of those genius chefs, full of pride and ego.
There's a certain arrogance that comes with talent.
But if you're a chef, your job is to care about your customers’ experience—not just show off your skills.
At 54:57, there was this moment: a dish of nikujaga (potato and beef stew). But the dish was so over-engineered that you couldn't even tell there were potatoes in it.
That's a big fail.
The judges included pro chefs, everyday folks, people of all ages.
You can't expect everyone to like the same thing.
Older people might prefer softer food. Younger people want bolder flavors. That's totally normal.
But if you say you're “revolutionizing” potato stew—then it should still feel like potato stew.
It's like the French Revolution: if you're gonna call it that, it better happen in France, by the French.
If your dish is so abstract that no one can tell what it's supposed to be… is it really a revolution?
Or just a different dish entirely?
The Meeting
You can probably guess where this is going.
Things got tense between me and my friend.
The turning point came during a meeting with the new hires. One of the new female teachers politely said, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
Then everything blew up.
I remember her clearly—she was fresh out of college, applying to teach at a cram school. Long, straight hair. Sweet, innocent, student-like vibe.
Let's call her Ms. A.
There were three new hires that term—one guy and two ladies.
They each did a trial lesson in the meeting room, and we senior teachers gave feedback afterward.
When it was Ms. A's turn, my friend gave his critique in a really harsh, almost scolding tone.
She listened, thanked him, and said,
“Thank you for your feedback. Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
When she came back, her eyes were red.
She'd clearly been crying.
I couldn't just let it slide.
Maybe it was because I was still young at the time.
Or maybe because I'd been in her shoes—I'd been chewed out during a demo lesson once and ended up crying too.
Whatever the reason, I really thought my friend was being way too harsh.
Arrogant, even.
After the meeting, the newbies left. I stayed behind and told him:
“Next time, try acknowledging their effort first, then give suggestions.”
But he brushed it off.
The one line I'll never forget him saying was:
“They suck—what, I'm not allowed to say that?”
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
“It's not that you can't say it. You just say too much all at once.”
“I suggest picking one thing to work on per meeting. Don't dump a dozen criticisms on a rookie—they'll shut down.”
“You're supposed to guide them. Help them adjust quickly.”
“They're new. Expecting them to perform like veterans is just unrealistic.”
As a mentor, you need to care about how they feel.
I tried reasoning with him, but he just wouldn't listen.
This friend of mine—he'd always had it easy. Grew up smart, picked up everything fast.
Reminded me of this academic prodigy I knew back in high school.
I remember once in 11th grade, I couldn't figure out a math problem in class, so I asked him.
He said,
“Oh, just do this and that. It's super easy. How do you not get it?”
No explanation. No formulas. Just did it in his head.
And me?
Totally lost.
Didn't get it.
Still didn't get it.
I was clueless.
Maybe it's because I wasn't naturally gifted.
Back in school, I was somewhere in the top ten of my class—but never in the top three. Just… above average.
I wasn't talented. I was persistent.
The kind of student who wasn't the smartest—but worked hard enough to get decent grades.
A “model student” kind of guy.
Even when I was learning to box, I practiced the basics over and over.
Take the jab.
I threw that punch more than 100,000 times.
I used to practice on old scooter tires—couldn't afford a punching bag back then. I'd hit them so much that the rubber wires would dig into my fists.
That's the kind of learner I am.
My teachers used to write in my report cards:
“Kind, helpful, but still needs to work harder academically.”
In the end, only one of the three new hires showed up for the next meeting.
And she only lasted until the end of the semester—about six months.
Honestly? That's impressive.
Working under that kind of pressure, with an arrogant mentor?
Six months is long.
Even I couldn't take it.
Once, after a meeting, I actually slammed the table in frustration. That's how badly we disagreed.
It's a shame, really.
“If the path we walk is too different, we simply can't walk it together.”
We couldn't be coworkers.
And in the end, we couldn't even stay friends.
That was the end of it.
往事如煙
某年，大概是我進入這個產業第五年吧
有個朋友找我去帶新人
他也是一位英文老師，跟我抱怨
現在的新人學徒 如何如何不耐操
怎麼待滿不到三個月，就不幹了
我們以前學徒時期多苦多苦
拜託我和另一個老師，和他組成一隊去帶新人
這個事件讓我學到
有的人，真的只適合當朋友，不適合當同事
為什麼這麼說呢？
他帶新人的模式真的讓我不敢苟同
大概像影片中的天才廚師一樣吧
有一種天才的傲慢
你是廚師，你應該要注重食客的感受
54:57
馬鈴薯燉肉，居然讓人吃不出馬鈴薯？
嚴重出包
評審裡面有專業廚師、有普通人、有不同年紀的人
所謂眾口難調
本來就不期待可以讓每個評審都喜歡
例如年紀比較大，咬不太動肉的，跟年紀輕的，想要的餐點本就不一樣
但是，你是在說馬鈴薯燉肉的革命，而不是別道菜的革命
就像是法國大革命
你要是法國人吧？
地點要在法國吧？
你這革命，讓普通人認不出來是什麼菜？你確定是革命？
這是另一道好吃的菜吧！
開會
你們可能猜到了
我和友人間的不愉快
在其中一位萌新女老師，說
「不好意思，我去一下洗手間。」
之後，爆發
爆發
爆發爆發
爆發爆發爆發
猶記得，那位新人好像才大學畢業沒多久，來應徵xx補習班的老師職位
留著長直髮
長相就是那種乖乖、單純女學生的外貌
我這裡先稱呼她為A老師好了
那期有三位新進老師，一男兩女
新人在會議室秀課
秀完課，我們三位較資深的老師給些意見
在我朋友用訓斥的語氣評完A老師的秀課後
A老師說：「感謝您寶貴的意見，不好意思，我去一下洗手間。」
回來之後，眼眶紅紅的
明顯是哭過了
看不過去
有可能是因為當時我還年輕
也有可能是因為我剛入行時，秀課也被訓斥到哭
我真的覺得友人當時的作為
挺傲慢的
開完會
新人離開
我留下來，和我朋友說
「你下次試試看先肯定新人的努力。再進入改進環節。」
友人有點不以為然
我對友人印象最深刻的一句話是
「他們那麼菜，難道我還不能說嗎？」
我有點無奈地撫額
「不是不讓你說，而是你說得太多了。」
「建議你每一次開會講一個需要改進的點就好，
不要一口氣批評十幾項，新人會受不了。」
「你是引導者，你的任務就是讓新進老師盡快進入狀況」
「他們是新人，如果你要他們交出像資深老師的成績，是不合理的。」
你是引領者，你應該注重新老師的感受
我勸了他，但是他不願意聽進去
我這位友人，一路順風順水長大，學什麼都快
有點像是我高中遇到的學霸
還記得我高二有一題，數學上課時聽不懂，跑去問我們班學霸
「啊就這樣，然後那樣。這麼簡單，你怎麼不會？」
他沒列算式，直接心算出答案
我整個
聽不懂
聽不懂聽不懂
聽不懂聽不懂聽不懂 (ノ▼Д▼)ノ
可能
可能因為我是學渣出身，學生時期成績大概都只有中上
意思就是班排大概在前十，擠不到前三
我不是那種靠天分，而是
靠努力
我是那種有點笨
但因為認真學習
所以成績還算看得過去
當過模範生那種人
看我練拳就知道了
刺拳
我老老實實
練了十萬次以上
練到機車輪胎的毛刺 刺到手裡面 (你懂得 以前窮沒錢買沙袋，就去撿人不要的輪胎當沙袋)
我以前在班上的評語
老師評語：品德優良、樂於助人，但課業仍須努力
果然
本來還有三個新人，下星期開會時只剩一位女老師願意繼續來上班
而且也只幹到學期結束，大概只做了半年。
好吧！願意在高壓還有個傲慢前輩的情況下，做半年算很久了。
我都受不了，有一次開完會和友人拍了桌子
真的意見非常不合
可惜了
「道，不同，不相為謀」
當不成朋友，也當不成同事
了
溝通
其實我有點後悔對同事拍桌子，現在想想，年輕的我有點太衝動???
或許有更好的溝通方式
各位朋友，你遇到這樣的事情，會怎麼處理呢？
