Berkeley City Council Doing Its Anti-Democracy Bit

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Cut the Latin, for a start, UG. It just makes you look like a pompous ass.

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Zen: no.

...

Originally Posted by UG

I am here in part because I can offer you fresh insight. And why would there be refusal to accept it?

Originally Posted by UG

I see you're not yet prepared to take the advice I gave you.

So... your advice is golden but when people try to advise you, you tell them in no uncertain terms that you don't accept it.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Is there anyone reading this who'd like to speak up on UG's behalf?

And there wasn't.

There's an important point you're whiffing on here. It goes so far over your head you may need a trampoline to reach it. Ready to leap?

If the people don't like you, they won't listen to you. In fact they often come to a conclusion the opposite of your argument... merely because they take you as a horse's ass.

That's not exactly critical thinking on their behalf. The argument should be separate from the speaker. But it's true. You do your arguments a terrible disservice by serving them up on a plate with dog shit garnish. You might as well take the opposite opinion of your own, because it would lead more people to seek the alternative.

And actually, though it's not critical thinking, there may be a gem of truth in not listening to pomposity. Who is more likely to be right: the person who believes he has never been wrong, or the person who knows he has been wrong, who has been thoroughly humbled in his wrongness...?

The people find no humility in you and so they find you suspect. I think the people know what they are doing, here.

If the people here are so far beneath you that you must lecture them and not listen to them -- if that's really the case -- if you really believe that --

Then you are playing tennis in a league beneath your skill, and you should find a game that matches your skill... otherwise you are just playing to make yourself feel good, do you see that? Who would stay in a game where they are so far superior? It does your game no good.