From: Walter Miles <walter at nova.org>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 13:18:08 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Where's... The Talking Heads' "People Like Us"
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

Hello Candy

On 11-Mar-02, Candy Madigan wrote:
...
CM>>> don't want to hang with losers...
...
WM>> So what's a "loser?"

CM>  A loser is a person over 30 who still lives with mommy and still has a
CM> crap job and thinks they have the universe's answers and is totally
CM> socially maladjusted.  Or a person who is under 30 who is clearly headed
CM> that way.

Let's see.  You've said that the older Loser must meet all
these requirements:
1. Live with parents
2. Hold undesirable job
3. Have egocentric idea of own intellectual superiority
4. Use extremely ineffective social coping techniques

Remarkably few people (fans or otherwise) meet all these criteria.
So, although it contradicts your earlier assertion ("...many never
move past that"), you're really saying there are virtually NO
losers, which I think is an admirable sentiment...

BECAUSE...

I believe that "loser" (whether my nebulous concept or your strict
definition) is not a remotely useful category for understanding
people.  It is an *illusion* that it will help you pick companions
for conversation or dinner, or guide your behavior in any other
interaction.  That illusion will only limit your joy of people and
deprive you of experience that might help you in your own
difficult time.

Of course, this is easier preached than practiced.  Categorization
is as inevitable as the chaos that it seeks to combat, and perhaps
illusion is the ideal abstraction of knowledge.  Aware of my own
failings, but also having stood (too briefly) in the light of
great souls like Terry Hughes, a thought grows, in my mind's rich
brown manure, that compassion is maintained by inner struggle.
It is not essential, but comes by watching and reminding oneself
of one's commonality with the world.  Even perfected, in someone
like Terry, it is discipline exercised over more natural
tendencies.

I have to admit that my conviction on these things is pretty
shallow, that I hallucinate my friends, enemies and even my sacred
unyielding code of conduct as badly as anyone, and I do like to
fuck with people.  I'd be grateful to anyone more skilled in
philosophy, Scientology or Object-Oriented Design who could set me
on the straight path of wisdom.  Failing that, I imagine that when
humanity's nature asserts itself, I'll be in the stands eating
hotdogs as a Final Solution is sought to the Loser Problem...

Walter

P.S.  This was SO long.  Barry said it as well in, I think,
two lines.  Thanks also to another lurking friend ;-)