Let us grasp the situation,
Solve the complicated plot.
Quiet, calm deliberation
Disentangles every knot.
W. S. Gilbert
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No ! If a problem comes up take the bull by the horns. Shoot first and ask questions later. Don't waste time deliberating. Be a knee jerk radical reactionary. That's the only way to get things done. Make sure to get things your way.
If your neighbor didn't mow his lawn last week, spread your garbage all over his yard to teach him a lesson.
If the Referee calls you boy out during the soft ball game, grab him by the shirt, shout obscenities at him, then paste him good right in the mouth.
If you find a space big enough for two cars make sure to park in the middle of them so no one can park in front or behind you. That way they won't bump into you.
At the supermarket when you finish bagging leave your shopping cart in the checkout aisle, or better yet, if you take it to your car leave it directly behind another car for that driver to push away.
When making right or left hand turns don't waste you time signaling.
If you're running for or holding political office I know a guy who can write you a good long list of really nasty insults you can use against your opponent.
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Believe it or not, and I know you do, these are all things I've seen, heard or read about. Anyone who does these things is a moral idiot. The terrifying fact is that a great many people live this way. As my friend Marty says "They walk among us, and they vote."
What's worse is that if you see some doing one of these things and you call them on it they will give you a blank stare as if you were talking a foreign language or else tell you to mind your own business.
How does the human race survive? It survives because those of us who are not moral idiots go around cleaning up the morons' messes.
It's great fun to take revenge, naturally. Pick up the garbage and throw it back. Tackle the beast at the ball game and humiliate him in front of his son. Wait until he's ready to pull out of his supermarket parking space then push the shopping cart behind his car and walk away. Pile trash cans on both ends of the guy taking up two parking spaces. Oh, there are all sorts of delicious things one can do to "get even." But is it really worth it? You might end up being just as much of an idiot as the one you're trying to teach.
I say speak up when you can but don't expect much of a response. Otherwise live by example. Some people don't even know they can be thoughtful of others. It has never occurred to them. My tactic when I come across someone who is ethically inadequate is to explain the principle of loving one's neighbor, if I can, then let it go, hoping that the lesson will be learned someday. It may resemble a gentle waterfall eroding a rock, but what more can one do with a stone head. If anyone has a better idea I'll be glad to hear it.
DB - The Vagabond
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WINTER QUESTION
(This is not a contest)
What was the most significant event that happened in 2010?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Only 7 responses so far. Winter is almost over. What's your answer?
DB
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5 comments:
I read where a Prof. G. Reynolds said "What bloggers are more than anything, I think, is anti idiot". Not all of us are bloggers but many of us think this way. Which brings me to the point of wondering what constitutes the definition of an idiot. Just because I do not morally agree with the decisions and actions of some people, does that mean that they are idiots. Who am I to judge what the appropriate behavioural responses should be, as afterall, I am not in their shoes. We all are raised with values, but my values might not be your values, so does that make one of us is right and one of us wrong. The morally righteous person might want to invert values to make themselves look good and deem the other person to be an idiot. The truth could very well be that the other person is deeming us to be a idiot, even though we consider ourselves as living on high moral ground.
Is there a better way? Perhaps both sides need to meet in the middle and respect each other's viewpoint.
Pacifica, idiots have no moral view point.
What a great read DB on what goes on in our every day living that we all have to deal with, ignore or work to make things better. Just a shame there are so many so called unusual folks out in our world today that don't seem to care about anyone or anything.
Point taken, db.
I think part of the key is to take the time to address the issue, in a calm manner, otherwise these oblivious people may never change.
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