I just don't want anyone telling me the answer. What I most need is space to figure out my own needs. I'm defensive; I guess I don't have much confidence in my ability to listen to myself. I know how easily influenced I am by someone talking about how of course the right way to live is X.

Saying that made me realize I'm better at standing up for my own perspective in the world of information technology. I'm comfortable saying that Powerpoint doesn't fit my way of teaching, it is too linear (I project web pages instead). And I wasn't too bothered by someone who said that laptops don't work in large lecture courses just when I was starting to teach just that (I'm happy with how it is working out, but I do have the advantage of a teaching assistant sitting in the back asking students to go back to class work if they start doing something else on their laptop).

"Don't you tell me how to live my life!" I've got to figure it out for myself. How many people still go to church wanting to be told how to live their lives?