It never fails to amaze me how people can become resentful and "offended" by the most benign and constructive advice or requests. Emotional attachments, self importance, and programs never fail to predictably distort any critical questioning into personal attacks. Most of that has already been mentioned during subsequent posts, I just wanted to bring up a few that particularly stood out for me:
Anart said:
It would be a good practice not only for developing your discernment, but out of consideration for the forum, to search the forum for discussions about the sources you are listing.
Kieran said:
Thank you for your concern about my ‘developing discernment’. You actually have no idea about my level of discernment.
Anart never said anything about the level of Kieran's discernment (upto that point in the discussion), her advice equally applies to anyone on any level of discernment. But Kieran saw it as telling him that he has a low level of discernment when that's not at all what Anart said.
Kieran said:
Are you a Catholic, Anart?
If so your apparent hostility and dismissiveness make sense.
His inability to even conceive of the possibility that he may be wrong forced him to explain Anart's lack of agreement by (!!) seriously considering if Anart is religious. He'd have to COMPLETELY miss the whole point of this forum and be totally unaware of anything Anart ever wrote on other threads. Given his previous posts this is clearly not true, he is aware. So what can possibly explain him completely forgetting everything he knows about this forum in a flash, and proposing one of the most laughable theories anyone could propose who spends even 5 minutes on this forum? Apparently self importance, his attachment to his post.
Kieran said:
Hello Ruth
I knew there had to be openness and reason here somewhere.
Sure, because it's the one person who ignored all the information Kieran posted and the conversation that followed and brought up what to me appears to be an irrelevant hypothetical question instead. Then Kieran procedes to write 2 huge posts answering it, apparently because he's really glad to go off topic and focus on something else entirely - and invest loads of energy into it. Did anyone else find that odd and somehow interesting? I'm sure if asked he may say "I just wanted to be helpful and share my thoughts on a thought-provoking question, what's wrong with that?" or something along those lines. But considering the context, and how much energy he put into answering the question, one that some others I think rightfully suggested is for the "tickle me" section, it sure struck me as a diversionary tactic, perhaps even subconscious one because he was "attracted" to Ruth's post - because it was the only one he didn't perceive as critical and therefore an attack.
Kieran said:
Don’t be too alarmed by mudrabbit … he thinks he lives in a nice house … probably in the ‘briar patch!’
That attack was 2 birds with one stone - aimed at mudrabbit AND at the forum itself since she called it a "house", meaning, he think it stinks. Well if he thought this house is so bad, why is he sticking around?
Laura said:
Kieran, when your emotions aren't running the show, you write very good posts.
Which is exactly what was so shocking to me personally about this whole episode. He is an intelligent guy with good input, and he wasn't confused about the nature and purpose of this forum. Which is why his question if Anart was Catholic was so bizarre.
Kieran said:
First of all I am quite cool when I post. I choose my words carefully. I am aware of the likely effect they will have – both on the general reader, and also on people who are dialoguing with me.
Considering all that transpired, clearly this is absolutely not true, he was not cool, he was not choosing his words carefully (unless he was consciously lying and manipulating), and he had no idea what effect they will have because he was by his own terms "speechless" at Anart's reaction to it - clearly shocked and surprised. So that's at least one of the contradictions going on, clearly because different "i"'s are in charge at different times, one is not aware of the other.
Kieran said:
I was quite aware of the likely response from the ‘moderators’ when I replied to Anart’s post.
Though I gotta admit, that's creepy. That just comes off like he did this whole thing consciously and knowingly. I'm wondering at this point if that's the case, or would the inherent contradictions in his behavior and words suggest otherwise, that he was at the mercy of his own mechanicalness and really didn't realize it?
Sorry if I'm a day late and a dollar short, I missed this thread and just saw it today. Just my 2 cents. And fwiw, Anart you're really taking the heat around here lately, somehow you're "public enemy number one" nowadays in threads that go very similar to this one. I guess that only means you're doing something right! :P