Posted by gary g (208.133.217.78) on August 07, 1999 at 11:41:27:
In Reply to: Perceived Cliques and The Mission posted by ScottL on August 07, 1999 at 01:16:01:
been checking this board nearly daily for a year or so
both in cluster mode & remission
I agree-
the social/touchy feely stuff is now WAY over the top as the central feature of this board,
I FEEL at the expense of meaningful information exchange..
there IS a need and place for that,
BUT I AGREE - beyond a certain minimal point which is needed to demonstrate the personalized magic of the msg bd - the social chattiness, groupy, noninformation-related exchanges probably belong more in the world of email, phone calls, etc
UNFORTUNATELY -
I am cynic/realist enough to believe also that is the unavoidable evolution of ANY forum as it grows and reaches greater and greater numbers -
sort of what led the guy ( I believe it was Will Rogers) to say, "the Letters to the Editor section is where people go when no one else will listen to them anymore")
there IS a point of diminishing returns in the society-wide current trend of "inclusion" and "empowerment"
one needs to be careful of the old saw about the lunatics taking over the asylum
an oldtime poli-sci prof I had, over 30 years ago, pointed out one day:
"The ultimate product of absolute democracy is legally madated mediocracy"
I absolutely agree
what I DON'T feel sure about is how to suggest handling this situation
1. it takes all kinds to run a world
2. we need everyone's experience, strength and hope to get on top of this CH challenge
3. there is a REAL NEED for the spiritual/comforting COMPONENT of this effort
I think what bothers me is the trend (to my eye) on the message board which is toward decrying ALL discipline of thought and logic is evil, and that warm hugs and oohey-gooey platitudes will solve everything
that unfortunately is the overall tenor in (at least American) society today, and it's probably a fool's errand to do much but hope it runs its course soon
I DO ASK:
all of you who go ballistic every time someone likes me takes a swipe at quackery, squishy thinking, etc - -
just be goddamn sure you clean up your own act
whether you want to realize it or not, any actual progress toward actual relief from this affliction, that has been made and will be made - is from the arena of careful, contemplative investigative science and medicine -
YES that community is loaded with charlatans, weak links and arrogant bastards, no argument-
but that doesn't fault the underlying premise and wisdom, nor does it logically lead to a wholesale condemnation of the scientific/medical community
WHICH IS EXACTLY what seems so trendy lately among the posters who scream the loudest when people like me take a poke at the "soft side" now and again
an analogy:
there seems to be no question that spirituality, prayer and/or meditation is now recognized as an important COMPONENT of treating disease and health recovery
no argument - even the AMA has been publishing on this (oh frabjous day !)
OK -
the answer is to ADD this to existing protocols
WONDERFUL
the PROBLEM is that many screwball evangelists adn snake oil peddlers are seizing on this, crowing that they've been right all along - and actively preying on the weak and confused, leading them to discard ALL medical care in favor of "faith healing"
lands 'em worse than where they started TRY IT YOURSELF !!!!
so - let's all try to get along
(even I agree with that
but all of you members of the pure huggy-bear munchy-crunchy persuasion, who keep telling us hardasses to "lighten up"