At Thu, 18 Feb 1999 12:23:44 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:29:36 -0500
>>From: "joe dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net>
>>Subject: virus: level 3 as sociopathic
>>
>>Sociopaths are notoriously good at telling others what they want to hear,
>>and through flattery manipulating them to serve personal ends which may be
>>detrimental to the interests of the others so utilized. They outwardly
>>adapt, chameleonlike, to mimic any worldview that confers them advantage
>>in a given situation. And they are especially convincing liars. They
>>treat people like malleable things and the beliefs of people as usable
>>resources/attributes, and, being monomaniacal egotists, have no moral or
>>ethical compunctions about pursuing their machinations to the detriment of
>>others (win-win is best, because the other will most likely be amenable to
>>further usage, but if it is a zero-sum game, the other gets the fecal end
>>of the stick). This is one possibility; what are some others?
>>Joe E. Dees
>>Poet, Pagan, Philosopher
>
>The real question is, why would you want to characterize level 3 as sociopathic?
>
>You've done an excellent job of showing how a properly worded passage can
>make something sound bad by using words like "manipulating, liars,
>monomaniacal, machinations, detriment" and so on. Can I ask you why? Do
>you believe that level 3 is sociopathic? Was it an "exercise"?
>
>Recognizing that you have this power, I would suggest you consider using
>it carefully. As Richard would say, "this is why clarity of purpose is so
>important".
>
>Reed
I'm just poking a few sacred cows, and seeing which bulls come to defend their territory;~). But seriously, the question (which you elided with your counter-question) remains. If level 3 can be reasonably described in this manner, why shouldn't it be? Is or is not level 3 (a memeset of which I still have not conceded acceptance) amenable to, or even facilitative of, sociopatic abuse? Maybe it IS bad; is a discussion of that possibility taboo on this list? Is it indeed the penultimate politician's modus operandi? It's a fair question. Try answering it this time, hokay?
Joe E. Dees
Poet, Pagan, Philosopher