Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 15:13:38 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>, WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Does principle matter? (was Re: Friday will prob...)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

Well said, Walter.  I'd love to talk with you more about the ideas in this
post sometime, regardless of how the current situation works out.
Particularly the parts I didn't snip below (trimming is good, even when the
post was important).  I'd just like to add an idea of my own to think about:

Fans often have problematic personalities.  Learning to tolerate or even
understand most, and avoid the rest, is key to being happy in fandom I
think.  Everyone has something worthwhile to offer if you can get past the
problematic parts.  What is considered problematic will, of course, vary
from person to person.

-- Mike B.

At 02:23 PM 10/20/2005 -0400, Walter Miles wrote:

<snip>

>PRINCIPLE
>=========
>Folks have different guiding principles.  Sometimes our principles make
>our path less smooth; often they are difficult to mediate; a few really
>suck ("Down with our inferiors!").  A person without any is a problem.
>You should hang with somebody else.
>
>Our principles (whatever they may be) are as important as anything in our
>lives.  We should recognize that about *others* too, decide whether we
>can live with their principles, and, if so, allow them the space to live
>their principled lives.
>
>An attack on our principles ("Yours are false or meaningless," "You have
>violated yours, or have none," etc.) can be terribly painful.  Principle
>can be both our armor /and/ the chink therein.  This kind of attack can
>turn your life upside down, can cripple relationships with friends and
>associates.  /Even/ an unjustified fear that the attack will be credible
>or effective can be devastating.  I suppose we should be stronger than
>that, but how many are?

<snip>