Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (41948)	11/17/1999 10:46:00 AM
From: Jacques Chitte	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71178

I fear that it's a long time coming because it violates tried and true human nature. Mean, selfish and greedy is a winning combination in an intelligent plains ape. We are children of winners - against leopards, bad weather, tribal war. We will have to get to where we have the chassis of human nature open on the bench and are drawing a working diagram before this will get much better. In the meantime the best we can do is straitjacket the selfish plains ape within us inside the stiff fabric of honor and civilization. It's worked astoundingly well. For a little encouraging perspective, look at how many thermonukes we didn't drop in the last forty-five years.

To: Ilaine who wrote (41948)	11/17/1999 11:34:00 AM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71178

It's a lovely thought, but I despair of it being likely. LOok what happens even here on SI where there is so little real sacrifice required just to be kind. Instead it seems to work the opposite! People are so frantic to make themselves look and feel good, to prove they are smarter, better, righter, that they are willing to humiliate others to feel that way. They get angry and petulant and nasty. Also I think people look for the pain- if that makes any sense. They are often unwilling to NOT see a slight, to overlook a criticism, so sure are they that everything revolves around them. I don't know if they LIKE being a victim, or are just so completely self-absorbed that they are incapable of looking beyond their own borders. We just cast the CHristmas pageant Sunday at church. It was terrible-- becuase obviously some are not going to get a role (EVERYONE is, of course, in it). I was so impressed by the Youth Music person. She tried so hard to give parts to kids who weren't in the summer production, to share the wealth, to not show favoritism, but even so there was fallout. She called me last night to tell me that one little girl was so devastated that she apparently has cried for three days and her mother called the Head Music Director and viciously attacked her, asking just "who do you have to pay to get a role around there". She was way way out of line. I understand how hard it is to see your child hurt, and I understand that you think hurt shouldn't happen in a church setting...but to attack these really wonderful people who give an incredible amount of time and love to the children was wrong. What did she hope to gain? ANd how self-centered. Why does she see her daughter as more deserving than the other little girl? But do you know, the directors were only worried about how to help the child? They shrugged off the mom and are looking for a little solo or something to give the girl. I probably would've told the mom to direct her own damn pageant and make her own damn kid the star and to get a damn life while she was at it. WHich is why I am not a church worker. My kids have had plenty of disappointments- part of being an effective parent is teaching them to understand that they WON"T get every role, make every team, win every election. Part of being an adult is realizing that not everything is said and done (either positive or negative) with you at the center of the action and that sometimes you;re not even in the scene. Yes- I have a bee in my bonnet.