(December 18, 2018 at 2:14 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: I recently bowed out of a discussion, citing irritability as the reason my behavior had been out of sorts, and that I wanted to establish a more certain handle on my tone before proceeding further. While that is certainly true, and concern for my relationship with another member definitely motivated my response, that is not the entire story, either. In doing research for a signature line to use on another forum, I came across the following line from Nietzsche.
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster."
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. As a consequence, though I feel it somewhat undeserved, and the person doesn't seem particularly interested in honest debate anyway, I now find myself on someone's ignore list. Perhaps that was inevitable. Perhaps not. And my irritability concerning another newer member has left me antagonizing them somewhat unnecessarily. I don't know if I want to like that person or not, but I'd rather keep that chance open for the time being, rather than close it off through sheer laziness and habit. Slamming moronic twats like Drich? Yeah, I got no problem with that. Many times I'm perfectly fine with playing the monster. However, I'm beginning to wonder if erring on the side of caution might be more prudent, and if I have not inadvertently become someone whom I'm not sure that I want to be.
What about you? If you are, likewise, occasionally the monster, are you the monster that you want to be? Or am I simply making a tempest in a teapot?
I recent found myself watching batman and saw a similar signature line.. Either you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Which is as much BS as Nietzsche quote.
As the two only speak to those without goals or discipline. Maybe for someone who is here on their own sense of righteousness (A self righteousness of sorts) can fall into the pitfall of being the monster, but that is only because people like that are in continually compromising their 'morality.' Meaning people like you are always justifying whatever it is you do for the greater good. In other words You will never step over the line because you will ultimately will come up with a reason to be over last years line. And on and on you will go till you can not deny you are in fact the 'monster' who you pretend to be fighting.
How you care for and respect your most adversarial opponent is most telling in the direction you are going or who you already are! If I am an example of where you can suspend all morality and civility just to "slam me" because I don't have the pedigree you deem necessary to have a personal opinion or to speak to facts as I see them, literally means Then you already are what you feign becoming. Seriously what Fascists will not allow someone else's thoughts go unchallenged. Who demands of themselves to personally attack someone for sharing their life with you all? More to the point how is that not monstrous behavior?
As hot as some of our arguments have been, even now Post the "have a nice day" of the last thread post. I do not hold you in any sort of contempt. I do not hate you I do not have any special rules concerning you. I just tire of the ad hoc nonsense. Even so each question you or anyone else can and do ask is treated as a stand alone episode. last fight we had has no malice carry over to this discussion which is why I can offer an truthful open and honest opinion even on the heels of the last blow up.
If you are worried about becoming the monster have a set of prime directives and simply do not exceed those mandates. learn to walk away let others have the last word and most importantly get over yourself and the fascist idea of your ideology can be the only one people are allowed to hold and have. understand you are not batman and you would make a worse Nietzsche as he became or people woke up to the fact he was crazy..
like it or not I have shown to be far more disciplined and cordial to you despite you taking the gloves off and hammering me with some of your best shots... The win or loss here is not who bests one or the other in conversation but who here among us at the end of the day will indeed become the monster you are trying to defeat. Me walking away me allowing you the last word in so many posts me showing restraint and starting over with a clean slate each time you ask another question shows me to NOT be the monster you pretend I am/The monster you allow yourself to become inorder to properly 'slam me.'
You want to treat the none ass holes of this site fairly (people not like me) then learn to regulate yourself with the person you hate the most. maintain balance and control. set parameters and do not go too far beyond them. Lest you be dragged off by your own monster!
