Are you the monster you want to be?

[vulcanlogician]

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster."

"When you gaze long into the abyss... the abyss gazes into you." I love that quote. It's from Beyond Good and Evil... the epigrams chapter.

It gave me some pause to consider my own behavior, both recently, as well as in light of the recent forum drama.  I certainly do not want to back down in my responsibility as an ethical person to fight for the things that I believe in, even if that means at some times I become a monster in doing so.  Excess in defense of virtue is no vice, they say. I'm not sure about that, but I wonder any more if I'm the monster that I want to be or whether being the monster has in some sense taken over from other virtues and behaviors that I might be neglecting.

I would reject "an excess of virtue is no vice" in favor of "moderation in all things." I think your posts are incredibly thoughtful and fair-minded, Jor. One of your best "virtues" is an ability to examine an issue from multiple perspectives (or a completely neutral perspective). That leads to some incredibly clear discussions. You have a penchant for clarity, which is why I think you're an asset to the forum. During my vacation from AF, I visited quite a few forums whose discussions I thought would benefit from the input of someone like you.

Slamming moronic twats like Drich?  Yeah, I got no problem with that.

Yup. I don't see a problem with anyone's snark and ire so long as it is aimed properly. People who respect us and respect AF ought to be respected in return. Just because I've expressed grievances concerning the way some members were treated, doesn't mean I think nobody deserves such treatment.

I disagreed with the banning of Everena and Rik, precisely because they served a purpose. There are a plentitude of religious idiots and zealots in the world. Oftentimes, I think we atheists misdirect our anger toward anyone who is a theist, when (in the back of our mind) the ones we really hold in contempt are the idiots. Therefore, provided they keep their general trolliness contained, the staff might want to consider keep such folks around. After all, these guys hold themselves up as targets, are seemingly unphased by our insults, and I suspect they get something out of the exchanges... just like we do.

(Note: I'm not criticising staff decisions here... just describing a situation I think would be ideal. I don't expect staff decisions to satisfy my every whim or desire. But by the same token, if I have a desire, I feel like it's okay to make that desire known.)

What about you?  If you are, likewise, occasionally the monster, are you the monster that you want to be?

Sometimes I'm the monster I want to be. Other times I say things I regret. I tend to think the fairest way to handle things is to dispatch insults at those who themselves dispatch insults. When someone comes at me with a respectful attitude, I try to reciprocate. I often fail to hit that target, but that's what I aim for. A "one size fits all" way of approaching people just doesn't work.