RE: Recent miniscule flame war
Come on, guys. Seriously. I think this entire recent thread is
something most folks aren't gonna wanna read in their inboxes.
Admittedly, the initial request was perhaps poorly worded, but I
realize and understand that not everyone is particularly "schooled"
in such things as societal politeness, grammar, or whatever. And
hey, that's okay. I understood the guy's message. He was curious if
I could help complete a picture for him. Nothing wrong in asking
that, really. Perhaps it could have been asked in a differently-
worded way, but I understood the question nonetheless.
I'm not an emotional person. Just ask Des. My state of
emotionless-ness has been the cause of many an argument. But perhaps
it is because of this lack of emotional involvement that I am able to
view this situation without any bias.
I'm not trying to insult any individuals on this group. I'm not
that kinda guy. But sometimes, a message can get interpreted the
wrong way, and may initiate an unfavorable response. It appears as
if this entire situation was a misunderstanding of sorts, but the
individuals involved may have let their emotions take control.
Now, this is not an insult. Let's face it, any argument between
two people is started by a misunderstanding, and then a perceived
threat to an individuals style or beliefs. It is important to
discuss things rationally, without getting worked up about it.
Arguments and fights can be avoided this way. As long as each
individual can view the situation as it really is (think of it as a
math problem), then a solution can be reached.
There's nothing wrong with a person saying he/she is sorry, or that
they fucked up, or made a mistake, or whatever. Let's face it, we
all like to be right. Nobody likes being wrong. Although this
thread is not an issue of right-vs-wrong, it is about
misinterpretation and responding too quickly for the logical mind to
catch up. I don't profess to know the general age bracket of the
members of this group, but we are all certainly adults.
Even when I get angry or insulting e-mails, I do not respond with
equal venom. I try to understand what happened to make the
individual angry, and then devise a way to fix it, or at least
respond in a polite and civil manner. Life is too damn short to make
enemies, man, and let's face it, we're all stuck on this rotating
rock for the rest of our lives. We should try to understand other
folks' views, even if they do not agree with what we feel is "right"
or "proper". I am not asking for anything like a public apology or
any shit like that. But take a break, cool down, and read the words
that were written. You might be able to understand how it all went
wrong.
--James M. Hardiman, apologizing to the members of the group for the
recent banter.
Received on Sat Jun 07 2003 - 17:39:07 CDT