Posted by Once Again on October 08, 2003 at 15:54:03:
In Reply to: Re: Wise or foolish? posted by Isiah on October 08, 2003 at 15:02:13:
Interesting.
I would agree, to some extent. There is always the risk of taking on the attributes of that which you strive to overcome('stare not into the darkness'). I think there is an entire paper that could be written on codependence between moos and former moos.
Certain members on both sides do certain things for certain producable results, and not because those things are core behavior. The key is not letting affected behavior become habit. For the anti-moo, that's how we've gotten this far- change the nature of the argument, which changes the nature of the response, repeat until old responses are at odds with new responses. From silence in the ranks to the problems extant in the schools, it moved to trials and a few speaking out. From higher belts commanding the discussion to lower belts bringing the grandmaster down. From no higher belts speaking out the truth to the True Disclosures and the exodus of the east coast schools. From leaving the schools and knowing that old friends would imagine you in their imaginary and foolish 'walk of shame' to knowing that at a keystroke, you can find the others who were smart enough to leave and joke about the whole thing, reducing it to it's comical reality.
I just tend to think that this is an improvement over the way it was when I left, and I think most have tried to improve as people throughout. I think that when we're done, there will still be others for the former members to talk to and get whatever buffer zone they need to get past the cult thinking. There's always one more group, with updated experiences and understanding.
Isn't that what you have found? That you spoke what you needed to, and eventually realized that it was spoken, and need not be repeated? Isn't that good? And could one step have come before the other, could the reasoned debate have occured without the gifted smart alecs shutting up the trolls, or the pragmatic instructors sticking it to the supposed man-god? I don't think so.
Again, I think that some actions can be wise one day, and foolish the next. It's all in knowing what day it is, something I don't always have down pat, but no one does. Mistakes happen, it's fixing them that matters, not avoiding them for fear of acting when action is what's called for, or for fear of being foolish, imo.