When commenting in public posts on topics that are emotionally or ethically sensitive, I prefer to be oblique or indirect, even unclear. I've learned that if I speak openly and clearly on some issue on a mailing list or newsgroup, I lose control of my words -- they may be used by others against third parties, or even brought up against myself at some future date. If I instead use metaphor, obscure anecdotes or indirect counter-examples, I may be misunderstood... but at least I still have a line of defense, in that I can later dispute whatever interpretation someone else tries to apply to my ramblings.
Translation (from the voices inside serene's head and nowhere else, necessarily): I am a weasel whose aim in "communicating" is to amuse myself rather than actually participating in conversation, and who doesn't have the courage to stand by anything he says.
You lose "control" of your words the second they leave your fingers and end up in public. What you're currently losing is the respect of people whose respect I guess I thought you had some interest in, but now think you might just be toying with for some unfathomable reason.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-04-15 11:56 am (UTC)Translation (from the voices inside serene's head and nowhere else, necessarily): I am a weasel whose aim in "communicating" is to amuse myself rather than actually participating in conversation, and who doesn't have the courage to stand by anything he says.
You lose "control" of your words the second they leave your fingers and end up in public. What you're currently losing is the respect of people whose respect I guess I thought you had some interest in, but now think you might just be toying with for some unfathomable reason.