First, I apologize. Second, I understand why a professor will not get in a drag-down, all-out fight with some asshole, blue-stripe suit or not.

It’s my problem. My sin was that I was “good at letters”. But school was the worst part of my life.

The proper response to an irrational person’s insult is violence.

It depends. Predators take your measure. Sometimes it’s an insult, sometimes it’s as seemingly innoccuous as asking you for directions, or a dollar, or a light. Your response, from as little as tone of voice and body language to a gouge to the eye, can make the difference between being a victim and a survivor.

There was no need. I de-escalated by bravely running away. As I said in a comment at my place, I think he might not’ve been reacting to my backwards cap per se but the fact that it was a Mets cap. I think I might be dealing with a phucking Phillies phan. (Though why he didn’t call me a “choker,” I can’t explain.)

The SEK story sounds odd to me.

You should living them. How I’ve come to have a collection of these, well, I don’t know.

On the SEK story. “Fucking loser” sounds about right to me. The only response to that remark is a thumb to the eye. Not “I have office hours to attend to.” Whom the f__k are we entrusting our children’s education to, and paying up the nose for it as well, these days?

That’s right, nk. The proper response to an irrational person’s insult is violence. If you’d rather send your kid to an institution where the instructors value teaching over brawling with anonymous idiots, then yes, I think you’re better served not sending your kid here. But if you like the idea of a professor who spends the five days before the final paper conferencing individually with students multiple times — looking over draft after improving draft — then let me recommend to you my fine institution.