Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00444)

JRC:

[quoting Rich]

>>You will indeed face the firing squad, sir.  How DARE you quote
>>the founder of the modern Theosophical movement to a bunch of
>>Theosophists?

>Ah!!!!! Decided to speak down from the heights to us poor
>little deluded children, eh?

>[Hey! Eldon! ...
>remember that line about "passive-aggressive condescension" that
>you found so unfair? This post is exactly the attitude I was
>talkin' about

I think that you're taking Rich's comments out of context.
He was clearly, as I see it, trying to make fun of the
extreme statements he was reading (about uptight Theosophists,
etc.) and the "har har" humor and responding in kind. His
post was intended to be *funny*, and you seem to be taking
it literally. His only mistake may have been to leave off
an occasional "<grin>" or "<chuckle>" or two from the text,
although I could detect the feeling-tone behind the words.

Perhaps you might agree that when we attempt to make fun
of views that we disagree with and consider extreme, we
have to be careful in our expression to not come across
as through we were dead serious. You attempt not too,
ending your satire with some laughing words, but again
it's important to be clear on the type of humor that is
being shown. There's a difference between light-hearted,
friendly humor, and a darker humor that mocks, belittles,
and is cruel in nature. We need to be clear in our intent,
or we can be misread, and that misreading can lead to
anger, hostility, polarized views, and other negative
consequences.

-- Eldon