Distinction.

I was recently advising a member of the Defence Force in my Reserve Legal Officer capacity.

He had been given an Unsuitability Report. This means that his boss had ruled that he lacked the ability to do his job through no fault of his own.

I asked him about the short statement that he had written in response to receiving the Report.

'Why did you state that you accepted the Report?' I asked.

'Because my Sergeant is my boss and the expert and it's his job to decide whether I'm suitable and therefore I have to accept his decision.'

'So why do you want my advice if you've said that you accept his decision?'

'I just don't think he used the right information. So I want to give it to him.'

It was the first time in 24 years of advising on decision making that I've ever had someone so clearly understand the distinction.

The irony is - he's been assessed as 'lacking maturity'.