tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post4054716575478390340..comments2023-06-15T09:13:45.467-04:00Comments on Liberty's Torch: Which Of Us Are “Secret Special Snowflakes?” A Sunday RuminationFrancis W. Porrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05862584203772592282noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-70601932888034070432017-03-13T12:52:08.342-04:002017-03-13T12:52:08.342-04:00You know what else Heinlein wrote, though? "...You know what else Heinlein wrote, though? "Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as “empty,” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them. No matter how “pure” their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best."<br /><br />It doesn't hurt to remind your spouse every once in a while that they're important and doing a good job (assuming that's true.)Rick Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10992428161064901136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-32212877921610748402017-03-13T10:29:57.079-04:002017-03-13T10:29:57.079-04:00This 'lack of appreciation' is one of the ...This 'lack of appreciation' is one of the recurring fight themes in our house. I, like you, expect no 'recognition' for doing what I view as my responsibility and do not see fulfilling basic responsibilities as cause for giving extra 'recognition'. So call me harsh/hard, whatever. <br /><br />There are indeed jobs for men to do and jobs for women to do just because of biology. Could I do the house work? Sure.. relatively easy since it is more about organization than hard physical labor. Could the SO do the yard work, house maintenance, and keep the driveway clear and safe in the winter? Sure but it would be much more difficult because much of that work requires strength and endurance in addition to organization skills. For me to expect my wife to do this work would be the height of cruelty solely because it would be very physically taxing for her. Some would say this is misogyny. I call it the facts of biology/life.<br /><br />The way I see it anytime you are involved in a team effort tasks must be assigned according to each team members ability. To do otherwise is to set up the individual and team for failure. When team members fulfill basic responsibilities there is no call for 'extra' recognition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-33762932746949059812017-03-13T10:19:45.637-04:002017-03-13T10:19:45.637-04:00Yeah, this post, plus dystopic's, got me think...Yeah, this post, plus dystopic's, got me thinking, too. But I don't have the acumen to write lots of lines to illustrate my thoughts. I just think we didn't mention "gratefulness" and realize the strength it gives us when wending through the dangerous path of entitlements. True gratefulness is not a weakness, as some think at first... there is a supernatural fortress there. When I think of life as a gift from God, I praise and hallow that gift every day, because partly (and even lately) I was afraid I was about to give back the gift. <br /><br />As for the Decalogue, I think it is present in every human, instilled so deep in some that mere obscurity and a light dusting of some brands of today's hate filled religiosity can cover it up completely. <br /><br />Thinking along these lines also adds to a person's innovation in the writing of poetry, I refer especially to sonnets... wrighte on, everyone...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07795222563523474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-84208825834396473662017-03-13T03:25:03.751-04:002017-03-13T03:25:03.751-04:00...ah, "everyone has a right, but so few have......ah, "everyone has a right, but so few have a responsibility." As I grew up, years ago, parents were striving to raise "ladies and gentlemen". We had a wiser, more thoughtful, and more genteel society. Sad that what we have now, is what we have now. But, since we don't know the words, we'll hum along with the tune. And, apparently; it's easy to dance to. - Grandpa Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-50675336391328480032017-03-13T00:09:43.056-04:002017-03-13T00:09:43.056-04:00You need not be perfect; striving for excellence i...You need not be perfect; striving for excellence is good enough.<br />In the words of Carlos Castaneda, 'Think about it: what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.' (Fire from Within)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01555726542017160201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557458849091969678.post-77538506374413936932017-03-12T12:05:50.288-04:002017-03-12T12:05:50.288-04:00Before Chris Rock went down the path of complete l...Before Chris Rock went down the path of complete leftism, he once accounted himself as something of a moderate, and he did an act where he made fun of dumb ghetto blacks, something society permits him to do because he, himself, is black. He called them 'niggas'.<br /><br />He said "a nigga always wants some credit for some sh*t he's supposed to do. Like, a nigga will say 'I ain't never been to jail.' You're not supposed to go to jail you low expectation motherf'er, what, you want a cookie?" Then he followed it up with "a nigga will say some sh*t like 'I take care of my kids!' You're SUPPOSED to you dumb motherf'er."<br /><br />It is, of course, much more colorful language than you've used here, but it's more or less the same concept. These days, too many folks want credit for things they are supposed to do. They put too much stock in the praise they get from other people, from what other people think of them.<br /><br />And it works both ways, too. A lot of folks allow what others think of them to color their opinions of themselves. They know they have done right, yet feel bad nonetheless because some bad actor doesn't like them. On a meta level, this is how accusations of racism/sexism/homophobia/islamophobia work. The idea is to make a good person, acting properly, nonetheless feel bad about himself for things he didn't do.<br /><br />Accepting such opinions, and allowing them to hurt you, is a grave mistake. It's not humility to do that, it foolishness. Humility is acknowledging that there are people who are better than you in some things. Maybe someone is smarter than you, or more experienced, or stronger -- whatever the trait -- and acknowledging and respecting that, while perhaps endeavoring to improve yourself. It's also knowing that God is above us all, all of us mere humans. It's knowing our place in the world, and accepting the notion that we're all sinners.<br /><br />It is NOT accepting another person's sin as your own. It's not bowing before someone who doesn't like you in an effort to change his opinion of you. It's not allowing another person to lie about you, or step on you, or hurt you and your own. Humility is not surrender and slavery.<br /><br />This reply already got kind of longish, but this post really got me thinking. It's very important, especially in the modern world where many of these things have been forgotten or brushed aside.Manuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13082153758868357687noreply@blogger.com