From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Sat Jan 19 2002 - 13:37:11 MST
From: "Harvey Newstrom" <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>
> Yes, I get bitter and disgruntled sometimes. I don't mean to counter the
> Extropian Principle of Dynamic Optimism. But I do think it is important
to
> accurately see how bad things are so we can work more efficiently to avoid
> or solve problems. I find a lot of discussions on this list simply naive.
> Happy talk or ignoring problems won't make things better. Accurately
> perceiving the world and then excelling anyway is an even better course
> toward success. I think I am doing so well in my life because I have
> directly attacked these problems head-on and found a way to work around
> them. I am not sure I would be as intelligent, creative, or successful if
I
> had previously moved from Florida to a more accepting environment.
Given our more informal and enlightened society, attacking day-to-day
problems head-on is still rare, and I salute, you, Harvey!
Something like 15 years ago I came upon a TV talk-show program (it may have
been Donahue) where one dignified, interesting looking gent figuratively
hovered above all the other people - even as some members in the TV audience
hurled insults at him. He was just fantastic, and I was then-and-there
inspired to read the well-known book he had written, The Naked Civil
Servant.
His name was Quentin Crisp, and as fate would have it about five years later
(1991) I was privileged to give a tea in his honor at my house (which many
people attended), and to correspond with him for a time before he died in
1999. The thing that was so inspiring to me about Quentin is that he "came
out" as a self-described homosexual back in England ... back in the 1930's.
The physical abuses he suffered, the list of jobs he lost and the insults he
dealt with every day are beyond belief.
There are few real heroes. Throughout history actors, politicians, writers
(everyone, really, but I mention a few of these in-the-public-eye
professions here) - so many of people could have taken a stand, made a
statement, exposed some problem to the public, inspired others, made the
world a better place ... faster. Certainly, there have been a few. It seem
much more common, however, for people - when put in a position to do
something about a problem - not to do very much, or ignore the problem
altogether.
Olga
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