My intellectual capital isn’t wasted by stupid jokes about dogs. I’m not paying attention.
My issue is that people with a very high opinion of themselves have historically viewed their (in their own minds) wonderfulness as license to trample on other people, who by (their) definition are not as wonderful.
I much prefer humble indomitability. I am not in myself any better than anyone else, but on the other hand I am no worse.
For me this grows out of belief in “all men are created equal.” I believe if this precept is fully accepted and applied, all other ethical principles can be extracted. If you do not accept this principle, IMO your ethics will be invalid, or at minimum will have no foundation on which to rest.
Where I suspect I differ from you is my belief that we are equal because we were CREATED equal. We are equal only because God made us so. Since we are not the same in any way, we are not equal in any other sense. We are equal only because we are equal in His eyes.
> license to trample on other people
Have I injured you in some way? Or are you fighting imaginary crimes?
> I much prefer humble indomitability
Do you shop for Guaranteed Ordinary Brand food?
> If you do not accept this principle
How successful has this approach been for you? Do you find that other people like having their values dictated to them? Do you like that, when other people do it to you? I know I don’t.
> I’m not paying attention.
I believe you. When do you plan to start?
I’m not picking fights with you — none of you. You have been badly misled, all your lives, but you have no time left to waste on error.
If you want to learn what I know, learn it. If you don’t, don’t.
But: You are advancing your own interests in no way by piling on me. To the contrary, your behavior is self-destructive, and it hurts me not at all. That’s something for nothing, and every trade you make where you give up your values and get nothing in exchange is a waste of your one, unique, irreplaceable life.
That just seems silly to me.
The good news is, this is a day that will live in your memories forever.