Fwd: Re: Protective coloration, was Re: Boy Genius or Craft Idiot?

From: Michael M. Butler (mmb@spies.com)
Date: Sun Jun 01 2003 - 17:20:46 MDT

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    ------- Forwarded message -------
    From: "Michael M. Butler" <mmb@spies.com>
    To: extropians@extropy.org
    Subject: Re: Protective coloration, was Re: Boy Genius or Craft Idiot?
    Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 15:52:00 -0700

    > My mailer is acting very strangely; I apologize if this gets posted
    > multiple times.
    >
    > It's clear that this gets up your nose, Olga, and I think I understand
    > why. Certainly it is possible to read arrogance into the utterance. It
    > appears you are unable to read humility into it under any circumstances.
    > OK. Thanks for making that clear. Bear with me for another minute or two.
    >
    > 1. > If the comment, "I believe I was given a special gift from God" is
    > *not* arrogant, then what is?
    > I'm going to respond as if this is not a rhetorical question. If the
    > above isn't arrogant, here are some things that still might be:
    > A. "It is indisputable fact that God gave me a special gift."
    > B1. "[I believe] God has made you inferior to me, and that you must be my
    > slave."
    > B2. <above, with "It is indisputable fact" substituted for "I believe">
    > C1. "[I believe] God has chosen me as a representative of His chosen
    > people, and that all others must die by our hand."
    > C2. <above, with "It is indisputable fact" substituted for "I believe">
    > Any of these utterances seems more clearly arrogant to me.
    >
    > 2. > In short, the unfortunate (but right on) phrase "get over yourself"
    > comes to mind ...
    > OK, got it. As a gedanken, how does "[I believe] I was given a special
    > gift from Satan" hit you? Or, for that matter, "[I believe] I traded my
    > eternal soul to Satan for my unmeasurably-high IQ"?
    > Arrogant? Ludicrous? Crazy? Or what?
    >
    > Not trying to yank your chain,
    > MMB
    > -- I am not here to have an argument. I am here as part of a
    > civilization. Sometimes I forget.
    >

    -- 
    I am not here to have an argument. I am here as part of a civilization. 
    Sometimes I forget.
    


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