When I first chanced on FFL it seemed 'gentlemanly' if you can excuse the non-PC term. Nowadays, it is an alley where one has to beware of who might be about. Although it appears that there are more posts nowadays, this is something of an illusion, since there is now an anything-goes mentality whereas then there seemed to be more self- discipline and a higher standard of debate. Slanging matches might have their value but when they become routine they are offensive.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Rick Archer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > on 1/31/06 8:16 PM, wayback71 at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > Nicely put, Michael. It seems to me that much of FFL is a different place > > than it was a few > > years ago. There are wonderful discussions, good laughs, and such knowledgable > > people > > here. But I skip many of the posts these days because they are so hostile - > > from a subset > > of people looking to engage each other by jumping on a word's implied meaning, > > an > > assumed criticism, the personality or character of someone they've never met, > > on and on. > > I'm not sure why they are here on FFL at all. Why not email each other on the > > side or > > better yet, just call each other on the phone and work out these "issues" and > > conflicts > > between each other, rather than taking up space on FFL? The tone of this kind > > of stuff is > > "off," unpleasant, and it feels as if a portion of FFL has been hijacked. > > I agree. I don't get this "hostility on the Internet" thing. Would the > people who behave this way here do so face to face? Maybe, if they had been > married 10 years and it wasn't working out, but otherwise, I'll bet they're > a lot more cordial in "real life" than they are on the Net, or at least I > hope so. Amma always says that anger is like a knife without a handle that's > sharp on both ends - it injures the attacker as much as the person being > attacked. I know that when I spew negativity on someone, I feel polluted > afterwards. And upon reflection, I realize that I'm just lashing out against > my own flaws, mirrored back to me by the person I'm attacking. Can a sincere > spiritual aspirant habitually indulge in negative behavior? Wouldn't their > spiritual progress be facilitated by examining why they tend to do that and > rooting out that tendency? Wouldn't they and all they influence feel better > if they did so? People are always going to do things which potentially could > invoke our anger or negativity. Seems to me that we use take those > situations as an opportunity for our own growth by exercising restraint and > judgment and sublimating the tendency to respond in kind. In a word, > forgiveness. Maybe our doing so will facilitate their growth as well, by > setting an example or causing them to reflect on their own behavior rather > than reinforcing their destructive habit. > > Just some thoughts. Sorry if I'm sounding preachy. > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
