Roger,
You are exasperated because it is difficult for you to accept a fact that is
demonstrated to you repeatedly by many different people in a variety of
situations. The fact is that most people do not want to change what they
believe. They are not interested in information that doesn't conform with their
beliefs. Additionally, you are a lot more intelligent than the average person.
Therefore, it is difficult for you to accept that most people think as they do.
So here's a situation in which Donald Trump demonstrates a talent that you
don't have. He knows precisely how to talk to the average American. (smile)
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Roger Loran Bailey
(Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 10:30 AM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Exasperation
Just dropping by to blow off some steam because I am feeling exasperated again.
I seem to feel exasperated a lot and this story explains why. Here is a part of
a conversation I had yesterday with a relative. She says, "I think China sent
that coreena virus to us on purpose." In case you think I am misspelling the
word corona I am only spelling it the way she pronounced it. I say, "Why do you
think that?" She says, "I heard that it came from the communist part of China."
Feeling my exasperation rising again, I say, "Which part of China is that?"n
She says, "I heard that it came from Woohoo. That must be the communist part of
China." I say, "Why do you think they sent it on purpose?" She says, "Because
they're communists." I say, "Why would communists want to do that?" She says,
"Because communists want everyone to die." I say, "Why do you think that?" She
sighs and says, "Do you even know what a communist is?"
At this point I am tempted to say that, yes, I know what a communist is, but
you don't have a clue what it is. Encountering ignorance does not bother me. It
always offers an opportunity to teach something. What bothers me is, for one
thing, the assumption that on a topic that has been one of my special interests
since I was a teenager and have devoted much time studying on my own and have
participated in with a lot of time invested with other people who shared my
perspective on the subject, that I am the one who does not know what he is
talking about. And furthermore, I have explained what communism is to her time
and time again and it appears that everything I have ever said about it just
went in one ear and out the other. Usually when I explain it as soon as I
finish talking she starts telling me about some recipe that she tried or
something similar. That should be a clue that I was not being listened to. Her
statements this time, though, showed ignorance on a number of levels and rather
than just repeat things I have told her so many times before I decided to
inform her of some other things that I have not spent so much time on. I tried
to explain something about the geography of China and the political situation
there. I also explained that it did not make much sense that they would have
unleashed the virus on purpose when they were the ones who were first effected
and strongly effected at that. When I paused she started telling me about the
personal life of someone she knows, but whom I have never met and am
uninterested. That is, she made it clear to me that I may as well have been
talking to passing clouds. Do you see why I spend so much time feeling
exasperated?
As I was typing this I was reminded of another incident that happened way back
when I was in college that was similarly exasperating. Bear in mind that when
this happened I was majoring in biology, but I really don't think anyone needs
to have studied biology to understand what I was trying to say. I was working
in the cataloguing department of the school library in the work-study program.
There were some secretaries there who saw some birds hopping around on the
lawn. It was a cold winter day too. As they were looking out the window one of
them started cooing about how they were going to have babies. I looked too and
saw what they were referring to. The other secretaries agreed with the
assessment that the birds were pregnant. I explained to them that they were
seeing the effect of the low temperature. The birds were fluffing up their
feathers to trap air and to give themselves some insulation.
That is, they were trying to keep warm. To this day I don't know why I didn't
mention anything about birds laying eggs, but it just didn't occur to me at the
time. Nevertheless, a bird's pregnancy takes place outside of the bird's body
and they do not show signs of an impending hatching. What do I get in reply to
my explanation? I am told,"We're women so we know about things like that."
Again, the assumption was that I was the one who did not know what he was
talking about. I calmly said, "Did you know that I am a biology major?" The
reply was, "That's some kind of science, isn't it? Doesn't it have something to
do with flowers?" Again, just some steam release about having to go through
life feeling exasperated with people. --
___
Thomas Paine
“One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.”
― Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
