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Latest post Mon, Aug 15 2005 11:52 PM by MrPedantic. 9 replies.
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maverick88  +  126896 Sun, 14 Aug 05 02:09 PM

Are "complaisance" and "complacence" antonyms?

I am not even quite sure about the meanings but somehow I deduces they are. Here's what I thought: someone complacent seems like someone indifferent, who ingages in his own business and in his own indulgences, whereas, complaisant seems to be somebody friendly, someone who tends to please others....

 

Thanks in advance!

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julielai  +  126916 Sun, 14 Aug 05 03:26 PM

Complacent: having too high an opinion of oneself

Complaisant: Exhibiting a desire to please

They don't seem to be antonyms, Maverick.

Just my two cents.

Joined on Sun, Oct 24 2004
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maverick88  +  126931 Sun, 14 Aug 05 04:50 PM

Hey there

My dictionary defines the former as what you wrote or someone indifferent, maybe even narcissist. The latter term seems to be the opposite - someone who doesn't focus on his own desires but on the needs of others. What do you think?

julielai  +  126950 Sun, 14 Aug 05 05:18 PM

I checked AskOxford this time:

Complacent: smug and uncritically satisfied with oneself or one’s achievements

Complaisant: willing to please others or to accept their behaviour without protest.

Also: complacent, 'smug and self-satisfied', with complaisant, which means 'willing to please'.

Source: http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors/confused/?view=uk

maverick88  +  126963 Sun, 14 Aug 05 06:12 PM
OK I get you I suppose...They're not sheer antonyms but their meanings are rather opposed to each other...Complacence is the result of the antonym of complaisance. What do you think of this relation?
MrPedantic  +  127062 Mon, 15 Aug 05 12:15 AM

I'm not so sure.

You can be complacent about your own complaisance.

MrP

Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004
Veteran Member 12,592
...opella forensis / adducit febris...
maverick88  +  127077 Mon, 15 Aug 05 12:54 AM

OK so what's wrong with that, Mr.P?

It doesn't matter what you're complacent about  (IMHO), the point is that you are. You can be also complacent about your own complacence about the complaisance of your friend... But this complacence is still a result of the antonym of complaisance. Am I wrong?

MrPedantic  +  127146 Mon, 15 Aug 05 08:09 AM

Hello Mav

Let's say you're an Inland Revenue helpdesk official in the GLASGOW office.

MrP calls you with a relatively simple query. Usually, of course, an Inland Revenue helpdesk official in the GLASGOW office will make the answer as absurd, inconsistent, and downright incomprehensible as possible. That's his job, after all. He's on a 'helpdesk', after all, isn't he? (In the GLASGOW office.)

But not you. You are willing to help MrP. You agree to everything he suggests, even though he is quite rude at first and shouts once or twice. You answer his question in simple, effective English. His interpretation of 'legitimate expenses' is wholly correct. You suggest other useful deductions that MrP might make. You even propose a full rebate. MrP begins to weep.  

In short, you are 'complaisant'. Later, at home, you think back on your day. You feel particularly pleased about the way you handled MrP. You look in the mirror and say to yourself, you did pretty well there, Mav. In short, you are complacent about your complaisance.

Now the antonym would mean "unwilling to please others or to accept their behaviour without protest". So in this instance, you couldn't really say that "this complacence was still a result of the antonym of complaisance".

MrP

PS Did I mention the location of the tax office? It was in GLASGOW, if anybody's wondering.

 

maverick88, 4 yr 99 days ago

Hey, Mr.P., as usual you have your brilliant clarifications Smile [:)]

Thank you I got the point Smile [:)]

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