virus: Re: virus TT

Ken Pantheists (kenpan@axionet.com)
Sat, 16 Nov 1996 10:38:23 +0000


Tad wrote:

Stephen, I want to understand you and why you judge my writing
"very mean spirited". I want to be a better person, I don't look
at life as "just" some memes fighting. I believe in truth and
fairness as best guides in this adventure called life. When you
judge me as being mean I want to understand your reasoning. Can
you be patient with me and explain what and when in your opinion
I did wrong in this discussion?
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Ok. I will be patient and take the time to respond to this.

I think you need to consider what you write and how it relates to the
term "passive aggression".

In an earlier post you prompted me to be more direct with you and (in
your words) "sprout a dick". In actual fact, you are much more indirect
than me.

Look at how you've set up this request.

"Stephen, I want to understand you and why you judge my writing
"very mean spirited".

That's noble of you.

"I want to be a better person, I don't look
at life as "just" some memes fighting. I believe in truth and
fairness as best guides in this adventure called life."

The first sentence is an indirect stab at me for believing (as you like
to contest) that everything we know is *just* memes.

You are indirectly setting up a distinction between you and me,
precluding that I also believe in truth, fairness as the best guides in
this adventure. Truth and fairness are composed of only the finest and
most empowering memes. To say that they are not is like saying that the
Host on a Catholic altar is not composed of atoms.

"When you judge me as being mean I want to understand your reasoning."

This is a public forum. It certainly is not as polite as a cocktail
party (thank god), and there is a certain freedom to posting text. I
certainly would never have, in my entire life, walked into a real-world
room of science people and started talking about memetics. I would not
have had the guts. This list has been an incredible (oft times
frustrating) experience and I am grateful for it. But there comes a
point where that freedom can be abused. Respect for the person gets lost
in dealing only with his or her text.

When you post, publicly, "How's the AA"
And follow it up with saying that said person has a booze problem. A
reader doesn't know how to take it.

Was AA a spoof on TT? Or does it really mean Alcoholics Anonymous?
If it's the latter, were we meant to know that about the person? Or did
you "out" them?
Refusing to qualify the statement is the same as not taking
responsibility for it-- and in any case, it's just plain mean.

That is my reasoning.

-- 
Regards
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Ken Pantheists                 
http://www.lucifer.com/~kenpan           
Virus Theatre                   http://www.lucifer.com/virus/theatre
TooBa Physical Theatre Centre   http://www.tooba.com
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