[Buddha-l] anti-antithesis

[Richard Hayes]

On Monday 25 September 2006 11:58, Jim Peavler wrote:

> I don't want to start monitoring the list because I think that cools
> things down too much and also because I am not a good judge of what
> is offensive since I am never offended by anything

I see you suffer from the same malady that I have. Unfortunately, this malady 
does not afflict me in the least. Some have claimed that if I were more prone 
to being afflicted by verbal barbs, I might be more diplomatic.

One of the few things I can remember about being in high school, sometime in 
the last century, is that one day some musclebound oaf splashed water on me 
in the boys' lavatory. I calmly dried myself off, which infuriated the oaf. 
He bellowed "Are you so stupid that you don't even know I just insulted you?" 
I said "I guessed that you were trying to insult me, but it didn't work. I'm 
not insulted." He splashed me again. We repeated the conversation, his voice 
becoming louder as mine grew calmer. We performed the ritual thrice.

Finally some fellow stepped up to the wash basin and said to me "If you won't 
defend your honor, I will." I said to the well-meaning interloper something 
to the effect "Don't be stupid. Nobody's honor can be damaged by a little bit 
of water. There is nothing here to defend." Later it came to my attention 
that the well-meaning interloper and the musclebound oaf got into a 
hellacious bout of fisticuffs after school, and the well-meaning interloper 
sustained several black eyes, not to mention bruises on parts of his body he 
never knew he owned. 

I have been letting others fight what they imagine to be my battles ever 
since. And when those who insist on protecting me from what they imagine to 
be threats to my freedom and security land in public office, I invariably 
vote against them. I can think of no better way to protect them, and the 
public at large, from their own folly.

-- 
Richard P. Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico
http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes