OK, julien, fair game. In fact, I dislike duns's style as well. I was reacting to a mood I saw developing, and to give credit, after I did so I noticed the thread took off in a different direction. That's all I wanted to do, make sure things didn't turn ugly against duns in an unfair manner. Go ahead and complain in a fair manner all you want; I'll even join you, for I prefer clarity in a message, especially given the audience here.
Posts by Seeker
-
37Concerning Supercalifragilisticexpealideosis
by messenger ini used a bigger word than dunscot......
-
-
-
37
Concerning Supercalifragilisticexpealideosis
by messenger ini used a bigger word than dunscot......
-
-
Seeker
If there is an anti-intellectual bias to this board
I haven't seen it on the board, I saw it in this thread.
It isn't just big words -- it's this continual need to spout obscure references to -isms no one has heard of or cares about, or what some philosopher wrote that is not even remotedly connected to everyday human experience.
When people don't cite references, they get lectured. When they do cite references, they get ridiculed. As for philosophy not being remotely connected to everyday human experience, that's simply not true.
This is not a philosophy bboard.. it is about JW and ex-JW issues. The participants want to discuss them without having to wade thru a lot of so called intellectual drivel.. Also I think people get annoyed because they sometimes perceive Dunscott is using impenetrable (thanks MD) dialogue to avoid answering tough questions.
It's neither drivel nor impenetrable. Annoying, yes, but to call it drivel is to engage in precisely the sort of anti-intellectualism I was complaining about.
One last thing, while I agree that certain words my express certain ideas/concepts more precisely (eg interlocutor vs. poster), I feel it is more important to communicate effectively than to communicate precisely.. When you get that precise you are likely to lose your audience (case in point: this board), whereas by using more common, less precise terminology most readers will still get the point and will actually stick around to read the message.
Precisely why I write the way I do; I agree with you. And you may have noticed that duns has toned down his approach in recent days, so he is bending a little on this issue. Nevertheless, people will continue to make fun of his words no matter what he says now, because of his initial approach. Fair game to make fun of intelligence.
-
7
larc and the cognitive unconscious
by dunsscot indear doctor larc,.
i have a question to ask you.
this question has perplexed me for years.
-
-
Seeker
Although I wouldn't put it past Greg to sneak back here under yet another persona, I see no resemblance between Greg's style and dun's.
-
37
Concerning Supercalifragilisticexpealideosis
by messenger ini used a bigger word than dunscot......
-
-
Seeker
duns,
That quote, to someone who is familiar with that list of -isms, is quite clear and precise. It would take many paragraphs to get across the same thoughts without using those words.
To those who are not familiar with those schools of thought, it is so much gibberish and an unnecessary use of "big" words. Those words aren't big, though, just precise.
-
37
Feeling So Alone
by troubled ini have to post tonight.
i'm feeling so alone.
stopped here at the library to post this, on my way to the book study.
-
-
Seeker
troubled,
As I said once to you before, you are at stages many of us have hit before. I, too, remember the 'don't-belong-anywhere' feeling vividly. I was an elder at the time. As biblexaminer says, it was very hard to keep doing parts all while knowing something was seriously wrong.
What could you do about it? Well, you could immediately short-circuit this stage by going to the elders with your doubts and news from these web sites. We both know the response, of course: sudden and immediate "interest" in you, whereas before you've been ignored. Ask yourself why this is. Why do the elders basically ignore you until you start having doubts, and then they pounce on you? Why do you hesitate to even tell your husband about these things? Why has this information been so 'demonized' by WTS statements? Since when is knowledge, truth, and accountability so harmful to a person?
So you have us here who tell you to do whatever you want to do, and we'll support your choice. On the other side are the elders and the WTS who tell you not to even think about things that you read here. Shut it out of your mind and focus solely on what they teach. You and I know which choice is more appealing -- you're still here, and you haven't approached the elders. We know. We've been there.
Once again I will remind you that we have gone through this, and these stages do pass, and it does get better. There is something priceless about truth, the whole truth, no matter the consequences to our lives. It's something about self-respect. And using our "whole minds."
Keep doing what you want, and learning what you want, and keep posting your thoughts. We will always be here.
-
37
Concerning Supercalifragilisticexpealideosis
by messenger ini used a bigger word than dunscot......
-
-
Seeker
MD,
Seeker, I don't think what you see is 'anti-intellectualism'. It's anti-impenetrability.
Well, maybe, maybe not. Look at the way he is being made fun of and it reminds me of making fun of intelligence. As for impenetrability, nothing he has said has been impenetrable to me, although I have had to look up a couple of words first. No shame in that -- learning new words is useful.
As for him being a troll, I can't claim to have read everything he has posted, but some of what he has said has been interesting and valid. Trolls don't usually do that. He may be playing with us, as he says, but he also brings a unique persepctive to the table, and I enjoy another point-of-view. At least we finally have a JW that is intelligent without also being drugged-out like You Know.
Ah well, I understand some of the frustration with the duns character. I just hated to see even a hint of anti-intellectualism. I've spent my whole life being an outsider, and just when I finally get to express myself any way I want without fear of ridicule, I see this. It struck a nerve, that's all.
-
37
Concerning Supercalifragilisticexpealideosis
by messenger ini used a bigger word than dunscot......
-
-
Seeker
I see anti-intellectualism is alive and well here. That's sad to see, for it is another form of discrimination -- one rampant through American culture and society.
I have no problem with the way duns writes. I don't happen to like it, but I can live with it. But I know as someone who uses whatever appropriate word comes to mind first, regardless of its length, that a person could be using less common words for a number of reasons. Compensating for some inadequacy, as people have been joking here, is not the only reason. For instance, if duns is surrounded by people who speak this way, he would naturally think of those words first. People in highly technical professions often develop a jargon that is not familiar to outsiders.
Would I prefer that duns wrote the way we write? Yes, it would be easier to deal with. But if he continues to express himself in a way that he has become accustomed, I will look up the words he uses and increase my education. After all, an "interlocuter" is NOT the same as a "poster." Learning the difference adds meaning to the statement.
In fact, that is the point of so-called "big" words: they precisely identify something in a way that could only be accomplished by several other words. If we are not familiar with the words, we can learn.
Now, duns really does take it over the top, and I wish he would tone it down so as to take his audience into consideration. But if we just make fun of him for his 'high falutin' words', it becomes a form of discrimination -- attacking the intellectuals. After all the anti-intellectualism of the WTS, you'd think we could tolerate even pretentious-sounding intellectuals.
America (and I suppose many other countries as well) glorifies the dumb, and looks down on the intelligent. "Book learning" is considered wrong, and plain, uneducated common sense is the Yankee ideal. Intellectuals getting their comeuppance is a long-standing theme in our stories. Well, I'm sick of it, and I hate to see such ugliness here as well.
-
56
DATELINE-"Soon!AnyDayNow!JustAroundTheCorn...
by Tallyman indateline-"soon!anydaynow!justaroundthecorner!".
just read bendrr's post.. been out of the loop for awhile.. what's the deal with this so-called piece/expose on jw-pedophilia.
that nbc's "dateline" is supposed to be airing?.
-
-
Seeker
sf,
When you said what you said, I thought back to some links you posted about worldwide conspiracies involving the usual suspects of Illuminati types. If I got it wrong, I apologize.
Now that I answered your question, would you please tell me who you think controls the media?
-
56
DATELINE-"Soon!AnyDayNow!JustAroundTheCorn...
by Tallyman indateline-"soon!anydaynow!justaroundthecorner!".
just read bendrr's post.. been out of the loop for awhile.. what's the deal with this so-called piece/expose on jw-pedophilia.
that nbc's "dateline" is supposed to be airing?.
-
-
Seeker
It will simply be because certain People have complete and certain control of what gets plastered all over the world news. Am I wrong?
Yup.
Oh sure, the media is mostly (please note, "mostly") controlled in certain key ways, but not in the ways you are thinking. Or at least, if the links you post are any idea of what you may be thinking, you are wrong.
-
62
Body Piercing
by Princess ini just had my navel pierced yesterday.
can i just say ow?!!
the place i chose to have it done was a little on the scary side, clean but weird!
-
-
Seeker
I'm fully in favor of anyone who wants to get a piercing (or a tattoo).
I'm also dead set against the idea personally. Yup, a contrary opinion has reared its head in this thread. Shoot me.
I like the human body, and see nothing wrong with it. Painting it, decorating it, punching holes in it -- can't understand the impulse to do any of that, but I admit I'm so totally in the minority over this issue as to mostly keep my mouth shut over it. Thanks for indulging me here.
Piercing is not rebellion, but conformity to the new non-conformity. It's like during the hippie era when all the teens started growing their hair to "rebel", but really were just conforming to each other. You want to rebel? Do something that no one is doing. If you can get it in a shop, it's already been co-opted by the system, and been marketed to you in non-standard ways.
Now, if you can resist this marketing, and genuinely just like piercing for your own taste, and not because it's the new trendy thing, go for it! I won't disagree with anyone's personal tastes, for their's no arguing taste. Enjoy your piercings, or your tattoos. If I see them, I will note them, and enjoy seeing them. But I won't consider it for myself. That's my taste.