Comment below: **
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" > <reavismarek@> wrote: > > > > Judy, your comment (below) seems very right on to me. > > Similarly, do you think that your chronic criticism > > of Barry might be related as much to something about > > his personality or style that really rankles you as > > much as it is to his actual/perceived missteps in > > argument? > > I'm not sure this is a valid dichotomy, Marek. > One of the things I find most repellent about > Barry is the intellectual laziness that generates > his argumentative missteps. > > I mean, intellectual laziness, dishonesty, > hypocrisy, general phoniness--are those all not > matters of personality and style? > > What might be behind my criticism of Barry that > doesn't fall into these categories? > > If you can figure out how to define it, I'm > willing to entertain it. > **snip to end** Judy, I wasn't so much presenting a dichotomy as suggesting that the constant criticism of Barry's is at least partially, a function of your dislike of the personality that fronts his arguments or posts. To me your use of the term "general phoniness" is dispositive of my feeling that Barry just gets under your skin; he speaks (writes) and you hear fingernails on the chalkboard, over and above any argument or point he might be making. In my line of work, not dissimilar from yours in some ways, clarity of argument is absolutely essential and I always worry that I'm not as tight in my presentation as I feel I should be. Maybe because of that, I'm willing (off the job, at least) to give anyone the benefit of trying to actually listen to what it is they're trying to say rather than just get tripped up on the faults or deficiencies of their argument or personality. Outside of the courtroom or the brief I don't hold anyone to the same standards I would professionally. Barry certainly adds a very outspoken personality to the forum but for me it's one that I appreciate and I enjoy, even when I may not agree with him. It seems to me that you really don't like Barry's personality and, consequently, all his intellectual "faults" are amplified for you. All my opinion, of course. Marek
