Dionysus

Lee Berman · 09 Dec 2010, 00:59 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2010 19:59:18 -0500
Subject: (urth) Dionysus
Message-ID: <SNT123-W3789E74A0F5A8142F6C45DCF2E0 at phx.gbl>

>Andrew Mason: But once ideas have been put out in public, they are a legitimate subject of  
>argument. You may not find criticism of your ideas helpful, if they efectively solve, for 
>you, the problems you find troubling, but you aren't the only audience for my responses.

Andrew I can't remember a problem I've had with your responses to my posts. You've always seemed
respectful and constructive. Still, your thoughtful post deserves an honest answer so I will do
my best, though you might not like it.

Some Wolfe readers may resrict themselves to interpreting the meaning from  the literal text only.
I recently made a post suggesting there are multiple other levels of meaning to be gleaned for a
full understanding. 

I think this principle applies to what goes on in the Board as well. Some may feel they are pure
intellectual spirits here, driven solely by cerebral processes. I think much is missed by ignoring
the other brain pathways, the limbic system re-routes, the spurts of testosterone, cortisol and 
epinephrine which drive the thought and steer the words. Sure there is an intellectual level, but
below that a level of ethnicity, nationality and faith, below that are levels of gender and humanity 
and an animal level below that.

Does gender sound out of place? Interesting anecdote: in my first month on this board I posted something
which inadvertantly caused many to assume I was female. The change in tone and response and interest to
my posts was quite striking. As was the reversal when I made the correction.

Let's consider the animal level and the species of hyenas, vultures and inhumi. They all perform important 
functions in their ecosystems despite what we may think of them. It is in their nature to act as they do 
and we can't expect them to change that. But consider the different behavioral responses we can get by 
presenting vultures and hyenas with 1. a wounded bunny  2. a fierce lion 3. another hyena or vulture. 
Inhumi too provide varied responses based on the nature of their victim. Thus behavior can be shaped by
the stimuli provided.

Andrew I think if you, and others reading this, think about it a little you can pretty much figure out my
purpose and goals for contributing to this forum. A more interesting question is- am I accomplishing these
goal? I think you can guess the answer.

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