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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!pooh
From: pooh@ut-sally.UUCP (Pooh @ the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: BEING RESPONSIBLE
Message-ID: <2632@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 10:15:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.2632
Posted: Fri Aug  9 10:15:54 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 04:25:05 EDT
References: <2471@ut-sally.UUCP> <1441@peora.UUCP>
Reply-To: pooh@ut-sally.UUCP (Pooh @ the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen)
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 41

In article <1441@peora.UUCP> jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes:
>"Pooh" is basically right, I think.  The notion "you are responsible for
>your own feelings, not me" is another manifestation of the "me"-oriented
>attitude that has recently become popular.

I didn't dare put it in these words, but I agree with them.

>I think this philosophy derives from people who have been, for a long time,
>concerned about the welfare of others, and have in time become worn down
>by it.  Receiving no rewards, in the long run, for their efforts (like
>writing in Usenet), they come eventually to realize "why, I don't have to
>do this, at all!  And I am much happier if I don't."

Well, just being concerned about the welfare of others
in itself isn't discouraging; it's only if you expect
"rewards" out of it that you run the risk of being
disappointed.  

>The problem comes when you then go out and make a "gospel" out of this,
>and start teaching it to others.  Soon, people who have never had the problem
>of becoming exhausted by too much concern for others take up the philosophy
>as well; and soon, you have a group of people who are basically self-centered,
>glorifying their self-centeredness by making it a popular fad (ironically,
>thus making it a social experience.  I am reminded in that sense of the
>women I observe when I eat lunch at Wendy's, who spend their "social" time
>together endlessly telling denigrating stories about their friends who are
>not there.).

It's the same as with almost any "religious" group; it's
loads of fun to talk about how enlightened you are and
how enlightened they're not.  The gleeful use of jargon
and private jokes makes some of these members come
off as extremely smug and arrogant.  There's no need
to emphasize how far you've come; the results should
speak for themselves.

Pooh

pooh@purdue-ecn.ARPA   pur-ee!pooh

"Scotty, force yourself to relax."