Glad to see Lib back. Glad to see he understand what he did.
Not so glad to see the same cycle. Passion is one thing, but knowingly overindulging in it can cause more damage than it can heal. You are by your nature a passionate man, Lib, so I would suggest taking that passion and putting it into something … well, like Liza’s Gold (if I have the name right). The trouble with being passionate is that it can get in the way with reason, and when reason’s the thing telling you to stop taking the same steps toward the same problem when you fail for the same reason, … maybe that reason needs to be heard a little more, and for that to happen maybe the passion needs to be less enveloping and saturating.
I am glad to see you back. I am glad you understand your failing. I am glad I don’t have to break new ground with this, because any sort of tough love is hard to dish out and hard to take. But I am not glad to see again the pattern RT and Gorgon Heap mentioned. I think you might be pleased with what your passions can do when funneled elsewhere … unless you believe it is your task to funnel them here, in which case … well, that’s something that’ll have to be dealt with.
There is that phrase you have and use sometimes for those who are going through, or possibly facing, difficult times. I am not sure if UncleBeer’s request permits its mention, so I’ll avoid hairy issues and not mention it more than I have already. Please accept it from me here with the sincerity of the rest of my post. And on the chance this portion of my post is in violation of your wishes or of the forum rules, UB, please do delete it with my apologies.
Well, I think you’re right, Pun. And I’ve actually found an outlet for the passionate expression of philosophy, which is my first love among first loves. I’m discussing my worldview (yes, even the famous M.O.P) with people who are professionals and hold doctorates in philosophy. I revealed up front my lack of formal education, and yet I have been well received. I’ve already accumulated 29 reputation points. (It’s a sort of “peer review” system by which posters may evaluate one another’s arguments.)
At any rate, I think that, as I said before, I’m not making any excuses this time. I fucked up, but not by being passionate. I fucked up by being mean.
I can understand why someone might say that it’s silly to worry about imaginary people you don’t even know hundreds of miles away. But that’s not what happened here. I didn’t lash out at an imaginary person. I lashed out at Lynn Bodoni, a real person with real feelings who really is trying to do her very best at running her forum. Not only that, she is someone for whom I had prayed, someone I cared about when she was in the hospital. She’s not some monster who deserved my wrath. And it seemed to me that since the offense was public, the apology ought to be. Frankly, I won’t blame her if she ignores it altogether. She owes me nothing; the debt is mine.
So. Thanks, friends, for caring enough to post in this thread. It means a lot to me. I don’t post much here nowadays, but I check in frequently. And UncleBeer, thanks for your leniency.
To all, may that Which you treasure go always with you.
Libertarian, I just wanted to pick up on this statement: “I fucked up, but not by being passionate. I fucked up by being mean.”
There is nothing wrong with being passionate in and of itself. Those who know me best will tell you I’m one of the more passionate people out there. In some circumstances this can be a good thing, as an old love of mine could probably tell you. On the other hand, since that passion burns particularly hot when I see people being treated cruelly, I can let it get out of control and behave as cruelly as the person I see as attacking others. I’ve been so angry because of what someone said on a different message board that I’ve broken a chair; I’ve been so angry because of what someone said at work that I’ve broken one of the vows I hold most dear and nearly gotten fired. For that one, I even went to confession.
Be passionate! It’s one of the things I enjoy most about you! But, at the same time, be aware of that line and do not become that which you despise.
As for your lack of formal education, remember, I’m someone who’s idea of a good time is a Mensa RG, and with good reason. Do you know I have no idea how much formal education the people there have? I know one fellow must have at least a bachelor’s because he went to agentfroot’s college, although, come to think of it, I’ve just assumed he graduated. I also assume another fellow went to law school because he’s a lawyer. That’s two out of about 150 who were at the RG l was at last weekend, and even they never mentioned their degree. On the other hand, like you, I have no doubt of these people’s intelligence and, for the most part, good character not because of their education or even because of the organization they belong to, but because of who they are and how they express themselves. A person’s educational credentials can take up more space than their names, yet they can still be a complete fool and a jerk of the first water. Those credentials make no difference to me; only the content of their character.
(It’s a sort of “peer review” system by which posters may evaluate one another’s arguments.)