Conceptually

I divide those I know into concept-oriented people and relationship-oriented people.

Concept-oriented people focus on ideas. At work they are unaware (often blissfully) of office politics but will study the implications of politically-motivated decisions. For example, they won't notice that the VP has been pacing the halls with the new director of sales, but when the VP endorses the new director's proposed changes to the web site, a concept-oriented person will minutely study the ramifications of those changes to current processes...

Concept-oriented people can understand office politics but only when it's brought to their attention – by another person or perhaps from repeatedly having to interrupt the VP as he converses with the director of sales; or when they develop a high-level theory about the current state of office politics. (The director of sales is trying to position himself for a fat raise by moving the web group under his management.*)

Relationship-oriented people like to talk about what other people are doing or saying or about who's hanging out with whom. They like gossip. Concept-oriented people like to know what projects other people are working on.

I am, of course, concept-oriented. (Only a concept-oriented person would have written the above paragraphs!)

Jane Austen is relationship-oriented. Lord almighty.  Pride & Prejudice is easier to read – it's easier on contemporary ears – but Emma is my favorite of her novels because it's all about who said what to whom, who advised whom, who feels what toward whom. You'd think I'd hate it for that reason, but in fact, for me, it's like a user manual to relationship-oriented people.

And so, thanks to Jane Austen, I'm beginning to understand – maybe – a little bit – why anybody anywhere in the world would care what Ms. Rosen said about Mrs. Romney.

(I do object to Ms. Rosen's logic. I don't particularly care (and didn't initially notice) that she targeted her comments at Mrs. Romney -- although, as was brought to my attention, the whole point of her speaking at all was to discredit Mr. Romney's stance toward women by undermining the implications of his marriage to a strong, smart woman. Lord. You relationship-oriented people, how do you keep any of this straight?)


* I hope I don't need to say that this is entirely fictional. I don't even know if the company that employs me has a director of sales.**

** Because I am concept-oriented, and none of my projects have yet involved sales.***

*** Ha!