On Wed, Nov 20, 2002 at 11:46:49PM -0600, Manoj Srivastava wrote: > Branden> The responsibility for prejudice lies with the person who practices it. Just out of curiosity, did you mean to rebut this statement? > Branden> But it is conducive to humor and a reduction in tension[1], > Branden> and I don't attempt to pass my jokes off as serious > Branden> statements in any event. > > When people are still passionately engaged in serious > dialogue, reducing their position to one of ridicule is indeed > hurtful. It's far better than making personal attacks. I learned a long time ago that is was better for my blood pressure if I didn't invest my sense of into arguments on the Internet. It's just too damn frustrating. Manoj, I am sorry if you feel that my occassionally wry, sometimes flippant, and all-too-seldom[1] funny sense of humor is an expression of personal disrespect for you; it isn't. I have respect for you and your position, but I will abandon neither my integrity nor my sense of humor for your sake. If I make a a remark that you feel is personally directed and you and is spiteful, then please let me know, in private mail or otherwise. Sometimes my jokes miss the mark and I recognize that later. Some people probably feel that jokes are wholly inappropriate, but I cannot agree with them. If you want to know what it sounds like when I am frustrated with a person on a personal level -- or whatever passes for that on the impersonal Internet -- ask Jack Howarth. He probably remembers. > Especially since you take it to every thread, and pull at > the scabs of arguments and flames not yet healed, and push, push, > push, push at people until they break, while you stand laughing on > the sidelines. I feel that this is an unfair characterization, and that the "every thread" bit is certainly an exagerration. Even my fertile mind (fertile with what, I'm sure you're likely to tell me) cannot think of a joke in every thread I participate in. But it is probably true that the more involved I get in a discussion thread, the more likely I am to crack wise at some point. This is at some level a function of probability, but also in part cause and effect: I get involved in threads about issues I care about, and when I care a lot I get really serious, and I feel more acutely the need to lighten the mood with a little joke. At any rate, I think you do me a grave disservice to imply that I go after people's sensitive vulnerabilities in some sort of calculated fashion, "pulling at their unhealed scabs" and playing upon their personal weaknesses until they break. Not only does this ascribe to be extremely unsavory motives, but it presumes that I possess far greater insight into other people's personalities than I think I have. [[ Joke: I mean, come on, I'm an only child, a born narcissist -- other people are complete mysteries to me. :) ]] Put more simply, I think your theory of my sense of humor is far from parsimonious. > This may well be funny to you, but does not feel so good to > the victims. Where I can discern that a reasonable person would take offense from a joke of mind, I will apologize for giving it. However, I have a pretty demanding standard of reasonableness, and a high threshhold for offense. If I make some salty crack on a discussion thread about "opponents of the GR", it's best to interpret that as broadly as it is stated, and not as a cipher for "Manoj Srivastava". That is because when I'm in a buoyant mood, I tend to let go of personal baggage and think really generically, in terms of "the opposition" or "Republicans", or whatever. When I want to rib you, I use your name. Anyway, I think an analysis of the pros and cons of Branden's sense of humor is off-topic even for this thread. I'm happy to continue this discussion in private mail, or on a mailing list where it wouldn't be off-charter, if you'll tell me where that is. [1] but I keep trying -- G. Branden Robinson | I must despise the world which does Debian GNU/Linux | not know that music is a higher branden@debian.org | revelation than all wisdom and http://people.debian.org/~branden/ | philosophy. -- Ludwig van Beethoven
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