RE: *Why* People Won't Discuss Differences Objectively

From: Emlyn O'regan (oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au)
Date: Tue Sep 17 2002 - 22:56:30 MDT


Lee, I've had you on killfile for sometime, but I grubbed out this message
after reading Harvey's post.

I agree utterly with Harvey's criticisms of your manner on this list. I
congratulate him for taking you on, head on, over it, because you seem to be
an extraordinarily slippery customer. There is little doubt that you behave
exactly like a troll.

No, I wont waste my time looking for examples.

Emlyn

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lee Corbin [mailto:lcorbin@tsoft.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, 18 September 2002 10:57
> To: extropians@extropy.org
> Subject: RE: *Why* People Won't Discuss Differences Objectively
>
>
> Harvey writes
>
> > How many times do people have to tell you to stop
> stereotyping other
> > people or prejudging other people before you get the
> message? It is
> > hard to believe that it never occurred to you that
> pigeon-holing other
> > people's beliefs by your own assumptions instead of their own
> > statements might upset them.
>
> You're being quite ridiculous. I'm hardly the only person in
> the universe using the words "liberal" and "conservative". In
> fact, I'm not even the only one on this list! Some even go so
> far as to say "right" and "left". Geez.
>
> > Strangely, you just blasted me in another thread and said that you
> > never claimed that people were afraid to discuss their difference
> > objectively. Now you are expressing this same concept again.
>
> You read each of my posts with so much a priori venom
> that you aren't able any longer to even discern what I
> mean.
>
> > > Um, confession time: I created the title to this thread a
> > > bit out of frustration.
> >
> > Of course. You frequently do this.
>
> One might say that this supports the old adage "Never Confess
> Anything: it will always be seized and used against you." But
> long ago I said to myself, "I don't care. All I care about is
> trying to find the truth." (Naturally, I wish that I could
> *always* live up to that but.... oops!! another confession!
> I have not always been able to live up to that.)
>
> > You constantly play games that seem intended to annoy other
> > people. Given Gina and now Samantha, you seem to be the biggest
> > cause of people threatening to quit the list than anyone one else.
>
> I'll wait till they tell me so, thank you.
>
> > Why won't people discuss this topic with you that you
> > repeatedly try to get started here? For some, it is
> because they find
> > the basis of your topic invalid. That is the answer to your
> > question. But you reject this answer and pretend that they aren't
> > answering your question.
>
> But they *are* answering my question now. I have had some very
> constructive ideas from no less than three posters, whose names
> I shall omit to keep them from going on anyone's list.
>
> > >> Actually I believe that most people, regardless of intelligence
> > >> and level of fundamental goodwill, tend to be caught in certain
> > >> primary modes or stages of consciousness that hopefully evolve
> > >> over time.
> >
> > Yes. It is obvious that you believe this.
>
> I hope you realize that Samantha wrote that, not me. I'm
> not completely convinced its accuracy, actually. As I wrote
> back to her, the concept of *evolve* here makes the notion
> questionable. Looks like you may be reading this thread
> with insufficient care.
>
> > Another reason no one wants to discuss these questions
> > with you...
>
> You're a barrel of laughs sometimes, Harvey.
>
> > ...is that you aren't really seeking answers. You already
> > have all the answers worked out. Your goal is to lead
> > others to your answer or preach your theories to
> > others in response to their participation.
>
> I shouldn't admit this (for obvious reasons), but there is
> a small component of truth here. If I think that I am right
> then I do wish others to "know the truth". (This is why I
> invite Jehovah's witnesses into my house for rousing
> discussions.)
>
> But you are dead wrong in your emphasis here. The *main*
> reason that I propose theories is to get critical comment
> on them. True, the criticism doesn't always sink in right
> away, and it may be months or years before I can see that
> my critic was right. Another reason to propose theories
> is reciprocity: I would like to hear other people's ideas
> too.
>
> > If you have a theory to present, just present it. You
> > don't have to play games pretending to lead up to your
> > pronouncements or lead other people to ask the right
> > questions so you can answer them.
>
> This supposition of such Machiavellian tendencies on my
> part is quite humorous. But I'm starting to worry that
> your articulation of this trait may be an act of self-
> description. I've seen that happen before: the only
> real cheater I ever saw in chess tipped me off a long
> time ahead of time (if only I'd known to read the signs)
> by accusing others of cheating. I wonder if
> you don't perhaps have some of the same Machiavellian
> tendencies that you're "seeing" in my posts, tendencies
> which you only barely keep under control.
>
> > This is also part of the reason that no one wants
> > to discuss your issues.
>
> Again, you make me LOL. Not only are you speaking for
> the Majority, you seem to be unable to recognize the
> reality that "my" issues are *often* discussed.
>
> I'm not really an ogre, Harvey. It's all in your mind.
>
> > You won't let the conversation flow wherever it will.
>
> Good grief! As if I have the power to control the
> conversation! You are indeed attributing to me
> more than merely human capabilities; I don't know
> whether to be flattered or insulted.
>
> But the worst part is, I think you're dead serious, and
> I am concerned. I invite you to talk behind my back to
> one or two others off line who you trust, to try to get
> a little perspective.
>
> > You have an end-game already planned and twist the
> > conversations toward your goals to the point
> > that real discussion becomes impossible.
>
> Since I am *so* diabolically clever, and anticipate
> the turns of the conversation so well that I'm already
> foreseeing the endgame, you should just give up now
> and capitulate: it will be easier on you after I
> take over the world.
>
> > > But if we were to draw up some extensive
> > > list of issues such as:
> > >
> > > profiling
> > > invading Iraq
> > > global warming
> > > gun control
> > > reparations
> > > affirmative action
> > > social safety net
> > > Monica Lewinsky and Bill
> > > Vietnam War
> > > immigration
> >
> > Why are these the top-ten issues on this list?
>
> Because AS I SAID IF YOU WERE CAREFULLY READING and had
> had seen the phrase
>
> "just to name the first ten that come to mind"
>
> directly *following* that list, it is because they are
> the first ten that came to mind! It was random.
> Well... (oops, confession time again) I did separate
> two of them that were rather closely related, for
> effect, but I touched only two of them. Now I *need*
> to be as totally honest as I can for the sake of *my
> own* sanity.
>
> > I believe that all the above are off-topic and should be
> > permanently banned.
>
> Mind you, I'm not advocating that these *be* discussed.
> In fact, I remained aloof from a thread started by Kai
> Becker which was pretty provocative about the evils and
> arrogance of the U.S. and all; it would suit me *just fine*
> if those things above were not discussed (not that I'm promising
> to stay out of them, mind you). I'm rather more interested
> in discussing what *causes* people to have the views they
> have on each side of those issues.
>
> > >> Precisely why are you yourself apparently putting down all
> > >> others and denigrating their strawman motives as concocted
> > >> by yourself?
> > >
> > > Hmm. Sounds like a loaded question 8^D
> >
> > No, I'm pretty sure she was serious.
>
> Do you know what "loaded question" means? It means an
> *unfair* question, Harvey, much like "Have you stopped
> beating your wife". Of course Samantha was serious.
> Now I couldn't literally answer that question without
> agreeing to its obvious premises---I'm sure that she
> knows that, and had she had the time to carefully
> review her post, she would have found some other way
> to accuse me of those things without making it a
> presumption of the way the question was worded. But I
> don't have a real problem with what she did because it's
> a frequent occurrence when writing email (or perhaps even
> speaking) and uh oh I'm sometimes guilty of it myself.
> And I put a grin on it, just so that she'd know that
> I wasn't accusing her of anything diabolical.
>
> > Your postings seem to be arguing with yourself.
> > You almost never respond to what people really say.
>
> Funny that you're the only one complaining of this
> that I know of. Would someone *please* who happens
> by the way to agree with me on other political issues
> also speak up here? Or even off-line? I would *love*
> to know if there was something to this beyond Harvey's
> imagination.
>
> > Instead, you go off on your own tangent arguing
> > strawman positions that you yourself invented.
>
> You're getting more and more delusional.
>
> > Of course, this seems natural given your insistence that
> > you can predict other people's political viewpoints even
> > before they express them. You see one or two points and
> > immediately pigeon-hole people. From then on, it doesn't
> > matter what they do or say, you keep responding to your
> > own predictions instead of literal reality.
>
> You're seriously reality-challenged about this. Would anyone
> regardless of their political views please support Harvey
> on this if it is true that I have ignored your objections
> and continue to misstate your position? And *please* supply
> what it is that you say about yourself (that is, some political
> viewpoint that you have) where I keep claiming that you have
> some other viewpoint?
>
> > Until you figure out why people keep calling you dishonest,
> you will
> > never understand why people don't want to discuss your
> issues on your
> > terms.
>
> You, and your brother, and perhaps Michael Wiik have called me
> dishonest. I would invite anyone else, provided they have an
> example, to also make that claim. If I *am* being dishonest,
> then I really want to know.
>
> > I know I am being rude and blunt here, but seriously. this is
> > the answer to why nobody wants to play with you.
>
> So you really are living in your own world. You can't see
> that a number of people have responded constructively to
> my posts (on this, and on many other topics).
>
> I'm not joking, Harvey: you do need a vacation or something,
> because if your perception of reality can become so delusional
> on something as trivial and unimportant as this, then you are
> in grave danger over important issues. Please consult with
> friends about *all* important things (e.g. cryonics, or major
> life decisions). I'm being deadly serious. Good luck, and as
> one cryonicist to another, I hope that you know I really do
> mean it.
>
> Lee
>

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