The Supercilious Thread (Human Nature)

You could call it Javik Syndrome, "primitive".

Also their is a tendancy to dehumanize people by categorizing and attaching labels to them.  It's easy to dismiss, insult and attack a faceless group but it's harder to do this to an actual living breathing person standing in front of you. 

This is the age of the label: liberal/conservative, progressive, neo-liberal, neo-con, hater/fanboy....ad nauseam.....There's so many it's hard to keep up with them.



Personally I hate labels and refuse to use them.  I'm not a number or a thing and I dislike being filed and categorized, my indiviuality is extremely important to me.   The only label I wish attached to me is human being.

I find that doing this helps...............




But seriously, it is hard to keep the red mist at bay sometimes.  I suppose having an ironic attitude/philosophy does help control things a bit and I've always enjoyed gallows humor, and do like to poke fun at myself. Life's too short.  The egocentric have always amused me. I'm amazed that some people can squeeze their massive head out their front door given their inflated opinion of themselves.  The ones with the messianic zeal (any opinion/issue) are particulary bizarre

i.imgur.com/7Buds08.gif

As the Good Book says:

Proverbs 26 (ISV)

On Fools

26:1 Like snowfall in summer or rain at harvest time,
        so honor is inappropriate for a fool.

     2 Like a fluttering sparrow
          or a swallow in flight,
                a curse without cause will not alight.

     3 A whip is for the horses,
          a bridle is for the donkey,
                a rod is for the back of fools.
     4 Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness,
          or you will be just like him.
     5 Answer a fool according to his foolishness,
          or he will think himself to be wise.
     6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
           cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
     7 Useless legs to the lame—
           that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.
     8 Tying a stone to a sling—
           that’s what giving honor to a fool is.
     9 A thorn in the hand of a drunkard—
           that’s what a proverb quoted by a fool is.
   10 An archer who shoots at anyone—
           is like someone who hires a fool or anyone who passes by.
   11 A dog that returns to its vomit
           is like a fool who reverts to his folly.
   12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own opinion?
           There’s more hope for a fool than for him.

On Laziness

   13 The lazy person claims, “There is a lion in the road!
           There’s a lion in the streets!”
   14 The door turns on its hinges—
           as does the lazy person on his bed.
   15 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
           but he’s too tired to bring it to his mouth again.
   16 The lazy person is wiser in his own opinion
           than seven men who can give an appropriate response.

   17 Picking up a dog by the ears—
           that’s what someone is like who meddles in another’s fight.

   18 Like the maniac who shoots
           fiery darts and deadly arrows—
   19 that’s what someone is like who lies to his neighbor
           and then says, “I was joking, wasn’t I?”

On Gossip and Backbiting

   20 Without wood, the fire goes out.
           Without a gossip, contention stops.
   21 Charcoal is to hot coals
           as wood is to fire;
               so also a quarrelsome man fuels strife.
   22 The words of a gossip are like delicate morsels;
           they sink down deep within.
   23 A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver—
           that’s what smooth lips with a wicked heart are.
   24 Someone who hates hides behind his words,
           harboring deceit within himself.
   25 Though he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,
           for there are seven detestable things in his heart.
   26 Though malice disguises itself with deception,
           its evil will be exposed publicly.

   27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
          and the stone will come back
             on whoever starts it rolling.

   28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
          and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+26&version=ISV

Rationalizing and coming to terms with the duality of Man in oneself. That scene succinctly expresses that struggle beautifully.

This is quite an interesting video on the classic cult tv show The Prisoner.  Mr McGoohans honesty and lack of ego and vanity in admitting to the shows financier that he was struggling to find an ending to the show is admirable.  His enlightened view of criticism and mature response to the anger that his ending provoked is particularly fascinating when viewed in comparison to similar decisions, reactions and real life events in the Mass Effect series.