Some of the exceptionals.

I would like to identify a few of the exceptionals and what I envy. But for the sake of anonymity, I'll be using pseudonyms. Let's start with Karl Keenthorn and James Betaluceae. These men share the ability to make you feel valuable and still be encouraging. I also saw them as successful in their fields, which they surely are. You wanted to be in their club. And even when you fell flat on your face, you were never rejected.

Why is that remarkable? Well, for most people it is easy to come across as critical, rude or superior when we offer advice intended to improve others. And maybe partially, that is in our heart to some degree. We want to be superior, and in some strange way, flattering others seems to lift us up. But these two are examples of that very valuable, and often unsought-after social skill of building others up without guile. Praise was either very cleverly veiled flattery or it it was genuine appreciation. Either way, the result was positive and constructive. 

Why bring these up? Well, in order to adopt the traits that we value, we should consciously identify them first. 

No guile.

Build up others.

Rarely showed loss of temper.

Skilled and intellectually bright.

Respectful.