Hello,
I've watched the recent fireworks amongst many of you with a certain
morbid interest (much as one slows down to watch a car wreck) and
several ironies struck me. (And I have noticed these ironies before
on other conflicts in similar millieus, so this is by no means to be
construed as a criticism of the individuals involved)
1.) I found it interesting that the apparent instigator of all the
hostility was initially villified for being a poor scientist and jumping to
(poltically incorrect) conclusions...and then those that
he had offended proceeded to jump to all manner of conclusions
about him. It was posited that this fellow was not, in fact, a
teacher, that he was not a doctor, that he was not over the age of 18, and
that he had some kind of blunt trauma...all without a shred of evidence!
2.) When this instigator turned nasty and began to hurl personal insults at
those who found fault with his pronouncements, those who
wagged their fingers from a perch atop a very high horse hurled back insults
which were every bit as vitriolic and inappropriate. So in the course of
trying to demonstrate some kind of moral superiority, these individuals
revealed themselves to be every bit this man's moral equal!
Hypocrisy is everywhere, and I do not pretend to suggest that it is
restricted to our field, or this list, but I find it fascinating that every
time a fight breaks out in a forum like this one, the actions of the
"offended" always seem to bear an eerie resemblance to the acts of the
"offenders".
-- Max McGee
Adjunct Psychology Instructor
University of South Florida
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
