It's a good point. Since you see everything through the narrow filter of the Level-2 worldview you have constructed for yourself, you don't see the difference between Reed's participation and your own. You don't understand why he is generating support and goodwill and you are generating resentment and dislike. You don't understand why Reed's posts are attractive and yours are repulsive.
Remember the original Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror"? It's about a parallel universe in which the galaxy was colonized by an uncivilized Enterprise crew. The (level-2) "real" crew successfully camouflage themselves in the parallel universe until they can fix up the transporter to beam themselves back home. What happens to the (level-1) barbarians who are swapped into the "real" universe? They are immediately recognized for what they are and imprisoned. The Level-2 players had no problem disguising themselves as Level-1ers, but the reverse was impossible.
It's the same with Level 2 and Level 3. The Level-2 player has no idea that he is unable to disguise himself, or even that there is a need to disguise himself. Like the barbarians, he has ignorance or even disdain of the more advanced realm.
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
Of MemeLab@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 6:25 AM
To: virus@lucifer.com
Subject: Re: virus: Logic Nazi
In a message dated 2/23/99 4:34:05 AM Central Standard Time, kjseelna@students.wisc.edu writes:
<< Are you suffering from a serious identity crisis? I thought you were "Jake". Please don't let the whole "Uber Mensch" thing go to your head. It seems like you're taking the issue a bit too seriously.
You're both bickering over abstractions here...isn't it alright to accept having different opinions? No one has to win or lose.
Peace, man...
~kjs>>
This is very interesting. I do something a little creative, responding
intuitively to the many vivid images that Reed conjures up about his past
and
what he thinks he sees in many of us here, by creating the persona of "Logic
Nazi". I figure its a welcome break from "usual long boring passages of
haughty, textbook-like speech". I get taken to task for it. I am "way to
serious", or I am suffering from an "identity crisis". Reed takes an off
the
wall tangent, and he gets praised by you. This is a very interesting double
standard. I can only guess the values that went into constructing it.
Indeed, I have been suggesting for quite some time that that we can agree to
disagree. If I recall correctly, it is Reed that thinks we should all agree
that some manifestations of faith are GOOD, not just tolerable, but good.
He
gets quite upset when we won't agree with him on this. He thinks it is his
duty to "close the gap" between rationalists and people of faith, citing
some
amorphous "universal human goals" which he refuses to describe that we are
supposed to be all working toward. I am quite happy to live and let live,
and
have no desire for this philosophical union with all of humanity that Reed
thinks we should be pursuing.
-Jake