Thursday, April 5, 2012

Through the Looking Glass, Splat


We all approach an issue from a point of view, that point of view being the accumulation of experiences we have had. None of us is perfectly objective. None of us is pure.

When we step to the looking glass, the mirror, what do we see? I'm referring to a literary mirror here, one that reflects who we are in our writings, our conversations, our thoughts.

Well, for starters, like when we look in the real glass mirror, we don't see what others see. Some of us see the flaws, the weak grammar and typos. Others go directly to the strengths, the crisp insights, poetic expressions or original wit. Mostly we bounce back and forth between the two, and because we know what others cannot possibly know about who we are and where we've been, we think we see ourselves better than they do.

But that is not always the case, is it? Sometimes our friends see things we don't. They see that we are jumping to conclusions or are overly emotional and they try to calm us. Sometimes they see pimples where we see clear white skin. Or brown, what does it matter? Sometimes they have had a different set of experiences that holds them up as more expert than we are on certain topics.

I can program a pong game but I can't program an Angry Bird in a gravity-influenced orbit heading for a green pig behind a wobbly wall of cement and wood. Some people know more than we know in certain subject areas. A lot of people know a lot more than we do.

Then why are we so resistant to ideas that others offer up, or criticisms? Why do we get our backs up, our bruised esteem virtually begging for nourishment from others?

In spite of this, inside our brains, we still FEEL whole and often superior? We are so confident of what we know. Even if we trend toward the big "I" on the linear scale of Ignorance versus Enlightenment.

Therein likes the rub. The word "confidence". It is inside us. An emotion. A pride. An ego. Sometimes it is not even very confident, it is a stiffening in defense, a resistance to critique. We can accept that someone else has more facts than we do. We cannot accept that they are BETTER THAN US.

And so we argue and deny and make up excuses, or head off on a tangent, to prove the grand intelligence and wit of us.

Well, we need new mirrors. Because we are each, in our own way, nothing more than a piece of shit dropped by God on a dung-filled planet, granted a brief time on earth to grow. Or not to grow.

Those who deny, who make excuses, who blame. The victims. They remain dung.

Those who apply their brains to discipline their emotions and seek unfettered knowledge and creative expression, and even joys in the tribulations that invariably roll through, emerge from the shit world as worthwhile. These are people who learn that respect is important and accepting responsibility is honorable.

Interestingly, they need not prove they are better than others. They comprehend that such comparisons are not important. In fact, they understand what they are made of . . . the good, the bad, the ugly . . . and are not judgmental about it at all. They require no looking glass at all.

They simply live well. 

12 comments:

  1. Ignorance is bliss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. *Wits

    That is why when Trosp and his ilk joins the fray at any GRP discussions,it usually degenerates into fecal level.

    In fairness with parallelaxe, I think the guy had "softened" a bit.... Or I may be speaking too soon. Here's hoping he may have come to his senses and realized that trash talk doesn't amount to anything. The man's cranial cavity seems to have a little more room.

    With Trosp though, I think the guy belongs to the nuthouse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really,

      Has Trosp claimed anything which is not based on facts?

      Delete
  3. I agree with your assessment. Indeed, parallelaxe is very bright and I don't understand why he uses his talent so "deconstructively". He still pisses at me because I have taken to accusing him of being sweet on trosp. I irritate him for some reason. Being inconsistent in my logic seems to be the main charge. Like, how I can criticize President Aquino in some ways but indicate that overall I think he is good for the Philippines.

    ReplyDelete
  4. *Wits

    We are all born and raised with bias. Even our standards are calibrated differently. I think that is the bone of contention of you and For Real's argument. It's good you saw it wholistically. Am lurking around and I learn a lot from people's points of view.

    I also appreciate how you handle the likes of Trosps. Your engagement in discussions and debate is a vicarious experience. Keep up the level of decency and intellect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Wholistically; I like that term. It was a good debate. I don't know where For Real disappeared to. I haven't seen him on Get Real either. It is good to roam around and collect different perspectives. Better than finding a comfy place and settling in with compadres who will always come running to the defense.

      Delete
  5. *Wits

    My bad. Am learning everyday (got a little lazy with the spelling) It's holistic.

    Thanks Joe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ha, I was surprised, too, when the spellchecker returned THAT spelling. Hole or Whole. Weird.

    ReplyDelete
  7. *Wits

    That's English; its "weirdness" makes it all the more challenging.

    I understand Parallelaxe is his own self again.

    Very strong discipline you got there, engaging the enemy without stooping to their level. Nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should see the responses I don't provide, the steam I let out on my own computer, without dropping it off to parallelaxe. I don't understand the point of their approach, really. To drive out opposing views? To build traffic for the site? (teenagers) To exercise their macho with?

      I notice not many women engage in the discussion, especially those kind. That says a lot to me. I think maybe these guys don't get a lot of action, other than in the bathroom, by themselves.

      Delete
  8. *Wits

    Hahaha!!!!

    I do the same sometimes. Write my thoughts but struggling not to let my itchy finger push the button, hehe.

    The structure of their forum is quite simple really. Parallelaxe and the other wannabes act as "bark dogs" to defend the articles written by resident authors. This posing is meant to intimidate
    posters with opposing views. It somehow spices up the discussion to a certain degree but there is really a thin line to be crossed where the whole thing becomes a virtual Divisoria, hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ah, yes, that makes sense. Holistically. To establish an environment of intimidation in which anyone who has the forthright courage to disagree gets thrown, and flamed. Guess I'll have to just keep working the site until it drowns in its own excrement.

      Delete

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