[lit-ideas] Re: Al Zarqawi
- From: Paul Stone <pas@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 16:05:06 -0400
At 03:37 PM 6/8/2006, you wrote:
You're right. Nothing changes if the predominant MO is denial. I think
we need to define optimism in any case. Every day in every way we are
getting better and better ...
I think you can be optimistic without being ridiculously positive. I once
took a job trying to sell phone service door to door. I didn't think I
could do it because I felt I lacked the 'positive attitude' that one needed
to do it. I was right. Everyday I would go to the office and meet for a
'team meeting' and our boss, who was the most over-ebullient full-of-shit
person I've ever met in my life would smile his face off and use ONLY
positive words. EVERYTHING was "great" and "terrific" and "fanTASTic"...
needless to say I left that job after 22 days of working 8 hours and
convincing exactly ONE customer to switch to our service. I can't be the
anti-Eeyore anymore than I want to be Eeyore. But... the killjoy attitude,
especially when two or three of us other people who mean nothing but well
and lighthearted fun for the others make jokes, that you exhibit is beyond
Winnie-the-Pooh poohing things. It's truly confusing.
Do you know who Fred Phelps is -- you know the Westboro Baptist Church
hate-monger? One might think that the depths of his hatred and
anti-homosexuality stance sheds light on his own deeply-closeted
homosexuality that he is dreadfully frightened of. One, MIGHT think that.
So... what are we to construe from your own psychological inclinations? Are
you immune to psychology? Do you also stand outside of the hard-calculated
psychological readings that you impose on others?
Generally, I'm as negative as I can think of a person being -- well
previous to knowing you, that is -- but even I can enjoy watching a bumble
bee hover over a flower bush in my yard for 45 minutes. Even mean ole
paulie can appreciate a nice sunset, or a great meal, or a enjoy doing a
good deed. Have you ever seen the SNL skit "debbie downer"? This girl named
Debbie constantly kills the party by injecting ridiculously depressing and
completely irrelevant sentences into normal conversation.
What's your story, morning glory? Like Julie, I genuinely want to know.
What evil lurks in the heart of all man and woe-man that is so problematic
to make you invoke Abbott and Costello in demonstrating how pathetic we
animals are? Were you injured? Why are you constantly singing a somebody
did somebody wrong song? We all know that there is a kernel of 'truth' in
every joke and that we laugh because we recognize the absurdity of life and
giggle because of it. So... what's your next point? It's not enough for you
to abstain from humour, you won't allow others to indulge themselves?
paul
##########
Paul Stone
pas@xxxxxxxx
Kingsville, ON, Canada
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