If Joey jumped off a bridge
you’d do it too?
Just because everyone around you is an ass doesn’t give you an excuse to act like one.
As I have explained in recent posts, I have ample evidence to demonstrate the intrinsic crappiness of humans. And they do new things to demonstrate their crapiness, every day. The newspaper is chock full of examples of people treating one another poorly, and there is no sign of change anytime soon. This behavior has been happening since Cain slew Abel.
If you get the impression that I’m happy about this, I am not. If you get the impression that I intend to act like an ass to people because I think their behavior gives me rein to do so, that is incorrect.
The reality is, the harsher and nastier the world is, the more important it is to treat your fellow man with some respect, dignity, and kindness. And especially those people who might be on the edge, people normally decent who are having a bad day, people who are under stress all day every day. SO I try like hell to be as decent, polite, nice as I can.
Except to the unrepentant rude.
Frankly, there is nothing the unrepentant rude don’t deserve, and I doubt there’s anything that can happen to them that would trouble me in the least.
“Just because everyone around you is an ass doesn’t give you an excuse to act like one. ”
Wise as serpents, innocent as doves, Og?
i have no idea what you mean.
Recall reading Chernkoff’s posts on the origins of Western Civilization – “Mesopotamia Redeemed” (by guest blogger Daniel Foty)- the foundations of which can be directly traced thereto and the establishment over 5,000 years ago of real and effective, written-down, LAWS by the Sumerians. There is no such thing as “Civilization” without it – “Cultures” perhaps, but not civilizations. It is a base requirement for effective and coordinated human interaction.
Human rudness and much worse goes way-way-way back – and to think that the Ancients could have, at such an early state, simply enjoyed the wonderful benefits of highly principled Anarchism… That we are so much more enlightened NOW (yeh right) can do so?
I’m the nicest guy you’ll ever meet (really, just ask Og), right up until either a friend, charge, or family member is attacked.
Wise as Serpents:
To be aware of the difference between acting like an ass and behaving in a civil manner many times requires the wisdom of experience and knowledge that you get with maturity (not necessarily the length-span of your life).
True, there are some behaviors that are obviously asinine. But many are clouded by deception and ignorance. When I was a child and was treated poorly, there were times when I did not know whether I was treated poorly or not. I felt bad and I did not know why. As we mature, we give voice to those feelings through words. That is how a word-smith evolves: they put to words those simple feelings that everyone says: Oh, how could it have been any other way. That guy truly is behaving poorly.
Innocent as Doves:
To understand the actions of the assholes, have the ability to behave like one, being that you know the tools of their trade – and refusing to behave in that manner. To choose to do good in spite of the temptation and capability to do evil.
Does everybody do that? As you’ve said “People are asses. Given the opportunity, they will misbehave.†How do you determine one from the other? You can’t. So it is best to hold the “Og’s Axiom†close to your heart and be ready for the consequences of trusting one another a little too much.
…and one other thing about being too overtly a nice-guy: “No good deed goes unpunishedâ€. Its best to keep your head down and your good deeds anonymous.
“…right up until either a friend, charge, or family member is attacked. “
Damned straight Dick. Don’t you ever change.
I endured 8 years of a rotten boss at my job. No amount of logic, nice words, giving, or civility made life any better. After too much bullsh*t went on, the Union stepped in and pruned his apricots. Management disposed of his carcass a year later.
Sometimes an infection needs to be cut out. That’s why we need people like you to crush the M**r-F**kers like they richly deserve. Sometimes Christianity is the use of the sword. The tools you use are the same, but the purpose is very different. Too bad the libtards of today are trying to eradicate your kind.
…and in regards to flaming Billy Blastoff, using words that would resonate with you: You busted his balls.
There are times where I wish I had the vulgar creativity that you have shown. Its was an absolutely beautiful display. (*Sniff… sniffle…*)
Too bad we can’t visit his blog and do all sorts of verbal vandalism. Eventually even the “Word-Fighters†cry like babies and don’t want to play anymore.
Og, you are, once again, dead on. The worse things get, the more important civility becomes.
Dick, I still want to go shooting with you sometime.
My dad always believed that good manners were the difference between humans and animals.
His feeling was that animals had instincts that guided them in how to get along with one another. Humans don’t have the same kinds of instincts, so they developed the idea of courtesy to keep from killing each other off.