Learned a lot, thanks, 'bye for now

POSTED BY: SignyM
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 17:12
VIEWED: 5743
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SIGNYM

Friday, May 22, 2009 5:52 PM

Just to let you know, I'll be checking in from time to time but posting a lot less. I need to get re-engaged in real life and hopefully in real politics. I learned a lot from my time here... not always what you intended but it's been an interesting and enjoyable experience.

What I learned:

Getting angry doesn’t help. Tit for tat doesn’t work if the person you’re reacting to doesn’t even recognize their own behavior. And there are a zillion wily rhetorical ways to derail discussion, but they don’t work if you don’t take the bait.

Many people believe that because they feel something deeply and passionately it must be true.

Delusion and fear can trap people indefinitely in The Twilight Zone. That is both pitiful and frightening to watch.

Trust government less. I’m pretty cynical about government. I assumed most politicians are unprincipled liars who are in government for venal reasons. But thanks to real-world events and our discussions, I found I wasn't anywhere near cynical enough. I came to see how corporations now own both parties.

Thanks to your probing questions, I thought long and hard about questions like how power concentrates and how it can be redistributed, the nature of true freedom etc. I’m an anarchist, apparently, and it’s not the same as a libertarian.

There are really smart people out there- people who know more, who’ve done more, thought more, and felt more than me. People who have reached profound insights by pathways I would have not thought possible. My hat’s off to you for teaching me humility.

There really are such things as authoritarians.

Some people have a trenchant sense of humor. Unfortunately, that doesn't include me.

Its “common wisdom” that people don’t learn anything from internet discussions, which are characterized as either circle jerks or pits of vitriol. I think it says something about the Firefly audience that we’ve been able to reach beyond our vast differences and form a voluntary, more-or-less self-governing association of freely exchanged ideas. It’s not often that such a diverse group of people can actually engage each other productively for so long.

I’m sure that I’ll think of several more dozen more things that I learned here, both large and small. I just wanted you to know that I truly enjoyed my time here with everyone, sharpening my wits and my ideas against yours. If we were here in real life, I would buy you all several rounds (alcohol, not ammo. Ammo’s in too short a supply right now apparently) and give you all a big hug for staying engaged for so long. Thanks for your insights; I hope the board will still be here to come back to.

----------------------
Carry on.

That is all.

RUE

Friday, May 22, 2009 6:06 PM

Strange, I had just come to the same place myself.

I wish you luck. If this place is still around in the future, perhaps we will both meet up again.

Goodbye to all.

There are stellar people here I will miss, and from whom I've learned much.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

SERGEANTX

Friday, May 22, 2009 6:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Its “common wisdom” that people don’t learn anything from internet discussions, which are characterized as either circle jerks or pits of vitriol. I think it says something about the Firefly audience that we’ve been able to reach beyond our vast differences and form a voluntary, more-or-less self-governing association of freely exchanged ideas. It’s not often that such a diverse group of people can actually engage each other productively for so long.

Well said.

Anyway, it's good to get away and I hope it gives you some new insight and/or productivity - whatever it is you're looking for. I've made that call several times in the years I've hung here, and it's been the right one mostly. Always seem to find my way back though. Hopefully we'll see you around again.

SergeantX

"It's cold and it's a broken hallelujah"

KIRKULES

Friday, May 22, 2009 6:26 PM

Good luck Rue and Signym, you are both among the smartest and most colorfull caracters to post here. Hope you don't stay away to long, having smart people to disagree with is what makes this forum interesting.

I'm at the airport heading out for Ireland for a couple of weeks, but you can bet on the fact that I will return like the plague.

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Friday, May 22, 2009 6:47 PM

I for one have actually grown more on fff.net. As I've said several times, I seek wisdom from the wise. Wise peeps aren't always peeps with whom I agree.

To you Signy: I truely hope you turn away from your belief that economic freedom and the business it produces is a dystopic influence. With the right regulation the citizenary can prevent a Blue Sun Corporation. I haven't forgotten my promise to you about reading The Worldly Philosophers, it's on my read list. I also will drag your 4-year old 2009 thread predicting the future to the forefront of the 2013 fff.net community to see how the future did indeed play out.

And Rue: I hope you will one day see that there will never be enough resources to solve all problems. You have a good heart, but some evils cannot be righted and some people cannot be saved. Human governments will never be able to produce the best solutions to fix problems. From the days in ancient rome when unclogged public sewers backed up, to our modern broken social programs, governments across all human history generally suck.

Interesting to see you both leaving at the same time. I often wondered if you weren't the same person. Ah well.

FREMDFIRMA

Friday, May 22, 2009 8:38 PM

Well, I'll be around iff'n ya need me.

Don't forget yer black flag now, Siggy - hoist the banner high, willya ?

-F

KWICKO

Friday, May 22, 2009 8:48 PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

This place won't be the same without you two, and it will be our loss if you're not around.

Edited to change thread title to something more appropriate (those who know, will get it!)

Mike

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day...
Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

CHRISISALL

Friday, May 22, 2009 8:54 PM

*wipes tears*

It's like watching Star Trek 6... all things end...

Signy & Rue, all my best to you guys, you've taught me a lot here.

The laughing Chrisisall

WHOZIT

Friday, May 22, 2009 9:57 PM

I for one would like to say, PLEASE LET THE DOOR HIT YOU BOTH ON THE WAY OUT! That's the same mercy you both showed me when you both tried to get me banned

CHRISISALL

Friday, May 22, 2009 10:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by whozit:
That's the same mercy you both showed me when you both tried to get me banned

You didn't get banned?
Maybe your bagelness is just less evident to me nowadays...

The laughing Chrisisall

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