I can't remember anyone ever cowering before me, so I tend to view any harsh criticism I find online as coming from someone strong, mature and wise, who would have no trouble telling everything to my face, because it's not like I'd retaliate physically to their words.
I grew up with the strange idea that words are words, and, if you disagree, you just reply with words. It does feel nasty when others steer the conversation towards judging you, and you try desperately to defend yourself from their offhand accusations, to no avail, because they aren't bound by an obligation to be rational.
Only at a very embarrassingly late age did I realize that normal people never surrender their natural right to physically attack those who offend them, and that evading that fate by any means other than physically confronting them and disabling them, proving to be stronger, is cowardly.
I used to see no problem in expressing any kind of opinion, no matter how harsh, because others could just as easily point out the flaws in my reasoning or my false premises, and there could always be a civil discussion, just like I felt forced to answer civilly when I got called names. But no, people demand a chance to beat me up physically so force settles the matter. I never make such a demand, because I don't expect to be able to beat up anyone. In fact, I naïvely didn't put any effort on training myself for physical combat, because I didn't think it was so important.
Since I began to understand this, and read a bit about duelling, I've become much more wary of what I say online, how I phrase it, and, especially, any reference to other people. Probably not enough yet, even though I already feel quite intellectually smothered.
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The red lake has been forgotten. A dust devil stuns you long enough to shroud forever those last shards of wisdom. The breeze rocking this forlorn wasteland whispers in your ears, “Não resta mais que uma sombra”.
23 Jul 2015, 4:02 pm
