Any relation of the analogy used below to "The Pilgrim's Progress" is completely unintentional. I only just noticed it on re-reading what I'd written for a second time. -Prof. Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Rhodes <proftim@speakeasy.org>
To: Church of Virus <virus@lucifer.com>
Date: Monday, April 12, 1999 12:16 PM
Subject: Re: virus: levels only two
>KMO wrote:
>
>>By phrasing the question in such a way as to paint my efforts here as a
>>compensatory effort for some insecurity or phobia, you're hoping to
achieve
>>what?
>
>Bring into question the utility of the idea at hand. I don't find it
>useful, you seem to. I was trying to bring out an answer other than,
>"because its true" and an emotional, rather than intellectual, tact seemed
>appropriate.
>
>I could have put it a different way, but it would have required a different
>me on a different day with a different disposition. I'm not always fun to
>be around.
>
>>Intellectual honesty and list courtesy, it
>>seems to me, would direct each of us to respond to the arguments presented
>>rather than belittle them with innuendo and allusion to unspecified
>>psychological dis-ease on the part of the presenter.
>
>Button pushing is button pushing, and I won't deny that I engage in it.
>I'll take responsibility for the button pushed, but not for all the wheels
>or levers you yourself set in motion as a response. Fair?
>
>>As I understand Jim's claim, he's asserting that the mental state
>>of an adult who has come to recognize the value of not letting any
>>particular belief system interfere with their quality of life is no
>different
>>from the mental state of a seven year old who has yet to fully settle
>>into her L2 BS. That seems unlikely to me. When following a spiral
>>path, we will sight familiar landmarks, but that doesn't mean we aren't
>>in new territory.
>
>Best bad analogy I can think of (after discarding a couple of worse ones)
is
>this: A mountain hike up a steep ravine, with lots of elevation gain and a
>slippery washed out trail that's seen better days. Do it as a day hike,
>carrying nothing more than the contents of your pockets and it might be
easy
>and fun. But do the same hike with a 80 lbs pack on your back and its a
>whole different world. One takes more training and skill than the other,
>but the trail itself hasn't changed a bit.
>
>>It seems that adults have a very different notion of time, and people
>>who serve the proximal master of the next urgent task think differently
>>than people who have a purpose or the phaith that lets them operate
>>according to a more long-range vision.
>
>A friend of mine once packed-in a cast iron skillet on a seven mile
mountain
>hike. He could be heard chanting, "Those Swedish waffles are going to
taste
>soooo good tomorrow morning," through most of the difficult parts of the
>hike.
>
>-Prof. Tim,
>who enjoys waffles, but not nearly enough to add 15 lbs to his pack.
>
>
>