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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (64063)	10/26/2002 4:44:39 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Frankly, I think that is quite wrong, and mere egoism. The idea that we are supposed to be impervious to what others think, and that we are responsible for our emotional states, supposes a self- sufficiency which man, as a social animal, cannot truly achieve, and an erroneous view of how human emotions work. Our own opinion can never be enough, because it is short of knowledge, and therefore could be wrong, and therefore must be affected by the opinions of others. Only to the extent that we are confident can we be impervious. But even then, as beings functioning in society, with hopes and fears predicated upon our progress in society, we cannot be indifferent to our reputations. If people mistrust us, for example, we will not have friends, and will therefore be lonely. If we are branded cowards, we will be affected by the contempt of others, and not succeed as we might have hoped in attaining positions of influence. Indeed, one of our primary drives is the pursuit of honor, and we are emotionally vested in our image to others. Everyone understands, for example, that it is heroic to face humiliation for one's convictions precisely because it takes internal strength not to fold against the pressure. It is not that putting up with calumny is a matter of indifference, it is that a strong person can bear up if there is sufficient reason......