Quick and dirty contextual questions

[youra6]

I've been watching some Chinese dubbed anime to learn Chinese, and I've been cross checking with my parents for contextual help on some terms.

I have a question on two terms:

本人- My dad said that this term is usually used to address oneself in a deratory or negative sense. Like a Triad member, or villian. My dad is a native Chinese speaker, but has lived in the states for 20 years now. Usage changes over time, so I am wondering if the meaning has changed over time.

指示- This term was used in the anime Slam Dunk, in the sense that a coach "instructs" a player. My dad said that while the term means to instruct, it isn't commonly used in this kind of relationship. He says its used more in the past, such as when a person of higher rank (government official) would instruct a commoner.

Again, I'm not so sure since I clearly saw this term being used in a coach-player relationship.

What are your thoughts?

[OneEye]

本人 is commonly used, at least in Taiwan, to refer to oneself humbly. It doesn't have a negative connotation, but a polite one. I use it in letters to professors.

I can't help with the other though. I'm not at all familiar with sports terminology in Chinese.

[Glenn]

笨人, on the other hand, would be derogatory.

[PengHaoShi]

本 is widely used in such kind of context, but more in formal or written Chinese. You can see it for example in every taxi, this car's number ...: 本车, announcements on the airplane, our plane will....: 本飞机，in an advertisement letter, our company can....:本公司。So it's a formal and polite way to address oneself / itself.

指示 can hardly be translated with a single word, take the words: instruct, advise and indicate, shake it and every now and then strengthen it with a little bit of command or soften it with a little bit of suggestion, and voila, here you have it.

Example: 下达指示, to give instructions, this is more of a command; 指示方向, to instruct about the direction, it's a bit softer, but you would assume, that the instruction is to be followed. So your dad is right.