Liz, maybe I wasn't clear. My boss was great. He was a true pleasure to work for because he encouraged and supported creativity, and willingly gave up some of his authority to those who worked for him.

The control freak wasn't my boss, I was hers, and she had a couple of people working for her. She was absolutely miserable, because the folks working for other bosses were making a lot of progress and getting recognition. Because she wanted to do everything herself and stick with what was tried and true, her people got little recognition and neither did she. When she left, one of her former underlings was put in charge and the programs improved by leaps and bounds. All that stuff they'd wanted to do before but couldn't...

Anyway, it may be easier for a majority of folks to cover up perceived imperfections or make them go away than to learn how to live with them. I think our preferences for tactics may have to do with our senses of humor as it applies to our own egos. I can laugh at myself and this is part of who I am. If I goof, I can make a joke of it. Mistakes can be opportunities. I'm never going to be perfect, and I'm here to enjoy life. Being disgusted with myself or others over mistakes is not something I enjoy.