Hello,
My grandmother was from Tasmania but she wouldn't have approved of Taz. She
always said, If you can't say anything nice--don't say anything at all. She
didn't mean we should only speak saccharine, banal trivialities. There was
plenty of room for comments that were constructive, relevant, rational, even
room for *respectful* disagreement. We understood we could have our own
opinions. But there was no room for having tantrums, being rude, throwing
toys at other kids, shouting No! No! No! Even if somebody said something we
didn't like.
I know many people reject notions of manners like that as irrelevant today,
thinking they're no more useful than learning the "right" way to use eating
utensils. I still think it's worth knowing of those ideas as some of them
constitute or apply to "civil discourse," a viable alternative to road rage,
flaming, physical abuse, and such.
For me, "civil discourse" represents a powerful idea. The two words seem
synergistic, they have greater meaning as a pair: to exchange ideas,
feelings, and all the rest with each other; to do it respectfully, honestly,
constructivly. Not only is it within our grasp, it is one of the very few
things we can do that will contribute (even if slightly) to making our world
a little less Hobbesian (I think he described life way back when as "short,
mean, and brutish").
To that end, I will try to make my comments here be constructive,
respectful, relevant, honest--everything my grandmother would accept. If her
idea has any resonance for you, by all means give it a whirl. Who knows,
maybe we can make life, at least on this reflector, slightly utopian!
73,
Max, k0max
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