Re: [tlug] Perspective... (anger management)

["Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon" <ronfaxon@example.com>]

Josh Glover wrote:

>>I'm passionate both in what I like and what I don't like, but I need to tone
>>down what I say about what i don't like.

>Not at all, just make sure you can elucidate the *why* of you dislike.

Okay.  Sounds reasonable.

>>And - just to make sure my position is understood - while I do
>>very much dislike a certain company, I am only for moving forward within
>>the law and in an orderly and responsible way.

>Of course. I never meant to imply otherwise, and sincerely apologise
>if anyone read it that way.

Thank you.

>>Since I do get passionate about things, I'll try to stick to subjects on
>>this list of which I am dispassionate, which should keep me from
>>repeating my past errors.

>I think a better rule is the one that we learned from our mothers when
>we were about five years old (actually, Scott reminds me of this one
>all the time; I wonder if he is actually channelling my mother, or is
>just wise in a way that few men are? ;)
>
>"When you are angry, count to N, where N >= 10, before responding."

My mother never taught me that.  She taught me to read before I started
school and for that I am eternally grateful, but there was never any
talk about anger management....

>Being able to argue dispassionately about subjects which you are
>passionate about is a difficult thing, but an important one.
>
>I hate to keep using Stephen Turnbull as an example (and Steve, sorry
>for putting you on a pedestal here), but note how he never seems
>angry. He may be poking more holes in your argument than Lady Bovary's
>stockings (sorry!), but he does it logically.

Steve never angry?  That's because he makes everyone *else* angry!  You
know?  And remember my letter about sophistry way back when?  *That*
made him angry!  But I think he's dispassionate all the time - so...
yeah, if you don't feel passion about what you're saying, you don't get
angry.  The sophism charge - now *that* was something Steve felt
passionate about!  (Rightly so Steve - I'm not trying to pick a fight
here, just pointing out that even you can get angry!)

>Please note that this email has all of the qualities of the pot
>calling the kettle black: I myself certainly fly off the handle and
>say things that I quickly come to regret. :)

>>PS  Josh - sorry man.  I think you're doing a great job as List Master
>>and I highly respect your computer skills.

>Thanks for this. It is really important to me that people hate me for
>the right reasons, not just some misunderstanding. ;)

Right.  Cheers!

Lyle