Posted by Jock on September 28, 2005 at 09:37:09 from 84.68.246.119 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Courage and Self discipline posted by Peter H on September 23, 2005 at 12:54:33:
Peter, sorry for the delay in replying. I've had limited access to the Internet over the last few days.
most of what Jock says is reasonable enough. But I don't like his words in italics 'or should not appear to denigrate . .' Appear to whom?
The vast majority of chat site kerfuffles are caused by over-hasty reading of the posts. A statement might 'appear to denigrate' on a very quick reading, when in fact it doesn't,
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I could have replied to your posting 18759:
A. Peter - so you're 'having personal problems'. Are you coping? If so, well done. If not, then maybe it's because you 'took them too seriously'. Yes, we all like to think that Ransome is a serious writer, but have you ever thought how much humour there is in, say, ML or PH? If he had omitted the humour then the books would have got nowhere. I suggest that people who play everything seriously (and I've met them) are also 'a tad tedious', and they are usually 'losers'.
Or I could have replied:
B. Peter, Sorry to hear about the personal problems. I've also had them from time, and I know what it's like when they get really bad. On Tarboard you're among friends and we all wish you well. Ransome had serious problems too, not least of which, was his deteriorating relationship with Tabitha. I think that his gentle self deprecatory humour was his way of coping. For as long as we retain the ability to laugh at ourselves we can deal with most things that life throws at us.
Analysed for information content, there's little to choose between the two. Analysed for emotional content... . Well Peter, how would you have felt if I had posted version A?