I agree with your view on humor, DWB, especially a good pun. But there is a wide variety of humor, and the cynical variety is meant to demean or establish superior/inferior ranking. The humor that can hold up the mirror and show us how we are all connected in our humanness is not a barrier to communication and can indeed brake down those barriers.
On Sep 7, 12:46 pm, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> wrote: > I tend to look at humor as a doorway rather than a barrier. Regardless > of intent, if one cannot laugh in spite of one's self then the > question of 'why?' must be asked. This may be obvious to the offended > individual or not but a well meaning comedian can easily waste a good > and meaningful pun on a jadded and humorless individual. Perhaps it's > on account of the 'thick skin' (and sometimes thick skull) I have > developed, that I veiw it this way. It's just really hard for me to > take offense to just about anything, especially when humor is added. > > On Sep 7, 10:21 am, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Wonderful quote, Francis. Alice's bigger viewpoint of the Logos of > > the words we use may be lost on Humpty Dumpty in his need to express > > authority through "mastery", of words, identity of view, and > > reluctance to consider another meaning. This may indeed be the crux > > of the barriers to communication on the topic of capitalism or any > > other, as " people began ' arriving ' at their fixed and > > hardened perspectives, views or values. Which makes an open > > conversation impossible, for there is mere reiteration of known > > positions" > > > By Logos, I mean the traditional sense of the word, the "meaning that > > passes between you and me," which takes into account connotation, > > denotation, linguistics and semantics. These are the processes > > fleshed out in honest and open dialogue. Groups often get stuck in > > defining terms. Anyone entering the dialogue with an ax to grind, a > > need to be right or feel injured, stops dialogue and keeps the group > > stuck in argument (or outright abuse), and there are thousands if not > > millions of places in cyberspace ready to engage on this level. > > Violent language, fallacious arguments, cynical humor and personal > > attacks are all barriers to communication, often by design if a person > > in the group is more interested in talking only about themselves or > > what they make the words mean as masters of them. But we all know the > > story of Humpty Dumpty. > > > Dialogue takes a knowledge of other group members and respect for > > differences in language and culture before semantic differences can be > > flushed out, and common understanding of terms agreed upon. Then, > > different viewpoints can be expressed and appreciated. There are then > > those wonderful moments when we can experience our own viewpoints > > expanding, as the meaning that passes between you and I gains > > dimensionality. > > > I think this is an important thread, Vam. Thanks for starting it. > > > On Sep 5, 5:37 am, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Like many terms used in public discourse, Ashok/Vam, sometimes the > > > only answer is that given by Humpty Dumpty :-): > > > > "`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, > > > `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.' > > > > `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so > > > many different things.' > > > > `The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master -- > > > that's all.'" > > > >http://www.sabian.org/Alice/lgchap06.htm > > > > Francis > > > > On Sep 4, 5:17 pm, ashok tewari <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > little time ? ! ... indeed. > > > > > But that's not the issue I'd highlighted, Fran. It was about " what > > > > *people > > > > mean when they use the term* ' capitalism.' " Not how it means in Das > > > > Kapital. > > > > > On Sat, Sep 4, 2010 at 7:25 PM, frantheman > > > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > Well, if anyone's got a little time on their hands, here's an > > > > > introduction to the subject of capitalism :-) > > > > > >http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Das_Kapital > > > > > > Francis > > > > > > On Sep 3, 7:56 pm, Vam <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I do sense an aspect of timelessness in the platform, on which > > > > > > people > > > > > > with fundamental questions or doubts met and discoursed to clarify. > > > > > > > What happened was people began ' arriving ' at their fixed and > > > > > > hardened perspectives, views or values. Which makes an open > > > > > > conversation impossible, for there is mere reiteration of known > > > > > > positions. Like, it would be disappointing if we came to clear the > > > > > > ground and found it littered with buildings of all sorts, including > > > > > > those one may disagree with or dislike. > > > > > > > I believe the developments take nothing away from the timelessness > > > > > > of > > > > > > ME. But we need to go back to discussing fundamental issues, aspects > > > > > > or terms. For instances, I am till date intrigued by what people > > > > > > mean > > > > > > when they use the term ' capitalism.' Ideally, the user should be > > > > > > able > > > > > > to enlighten us with all ideate dimensions to the term - practice, > > > > > > structure, economic values system, moral values, ethical values, and > > > > > > way - of - life beliefs and philosophy. > > > > > > > The discussion would of course veer to alternate systems and > > > > > > philosophies ... and so on. The participants definitely make their > > > > > > own > > > > > > informed or cultural choices along the way. Life itself clarifies > > > > > > the > > > > > > rest of the way. And perhaps the discourse gets upgraded ... > > > > > > sometime ... if there are enough interested members to infuse life > > > > > > !! > > > > > -- > > > > ASHOK TEWARI- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -
