Mark was Re: Vanitas Vanitorum
Kaitlyn
Do you see me as someone so needy that I'd so as you are
suggesting? Your post is insulting, to say the least, to me.
"...squirm and stoop to get into Liz' good graces..."
Have you Ever seen me squirm or stoop to Anyone? I'd really like to
know.
Just because I'm open minded enough to see the changes in Liz doesn't
mean I'm a terrible person, Mark. I've done the same to many people
here. YOU included! If I'd stuck with my opinion about who you were
when you first came to this newsgroup and to ASAR way back when, then
we would not have ever been friends.
Allow me to make my own decisions without insulting me, and I'll allow
you yours.
Kaitlyn
On Fri, 1 Jun 2001 13:10:49 +0200, Mark <ad...@asarian-host.net>
wrote:
>Yes, this is a post about Liz.
>
>I saw "The Devil's Advocate" the other day; starring Al Paccino as Satan
>himself. His counter-part, Keanu Reeves, gets slowly, but surely, suckered
>in by him. Towards the end, there is a beautiful scene, about free will,
>where Al Paccino tells a rather upset Keanu Reeves that he never made him
>do anything; that it was all his free will; that nobody ever followed him
>under duress; that he never corrupted people; but that, instead, people all
>followed him, freely and willingly. And so they did--in droves.
>
>And why? Vanity; man's greatest vice, as Al Paccino told Keanu. They were
>all eagerly in line to join the club; for Al, much like our Liz, really
>forced no one; he just catered to their ego, played on that greatest vice:
>vanity; and they all, without exception, kissed his feet while he was
>kissing their ass.
>
>And so I see people squirm and stoop to get into Liz' good graces; the
>gluttonous hands reach out, all too eagerly, for Liz to drop in a few
>soothing words. And I must confess, I have never before seen anyone this
>good at it. It is awesome.
>
>Most people are still afraid of her, though. But, not too deep down, they
>love the attention; they love how, finally, someone in their lives pays
>them some attention--even if they really know it is fake. But it is better
>than nothing, eh? And it is, of course, especially when you have been
>abused all your life, thrilling to finally have all that power on your side
>for a change; to have some of the "glitter" of the abuser rub off on
>you--if only by association; to not be with the downtrodden, for a change,
>but to be high on that horse, having the "strong" people on your side--as
>opposed to having them trample all over you.
>
>Like the classic tale, there is, of course, a price to be paid. Not that
>you really have to do anything; no, nothing so drastic. You just need to
>look the other way every once in a while. You just have to pretend not to
>see. And so, when Liz and gang are beating up on Carey, a once so respected
>person, who never hurt anyone in his life, people look away. Or, at best,
>they think: "Thank God, she is not after me!" That is the deal.
>
>Liz empowers people; very subtlely, rather refinedly, too. She empowers
>them through their own vanity. When, at long last, a few of her many
>victims speak up, she gently pulls her followers aside, and says, in shiny
>new sheep's clothing that would make any wolf jealous, "Two wrongs don't
>make a right; you need to speak out against them, for what they are doing
>is not right." And because she is on your side, you feel strong; and you
>feel a warm glow of selective conscience welling up in you. For there you
>have it, your chance to be righteous, in public, to finally speak out
>against evil--and you do not have to fear anything either, for Liz is on
>your side this time! And so, ere long, she has you clubbing innocent
>people, alongside with her. And worse, has you feel good about it, too.
>
>And then you start to making glowing posts, about sock-puppets being bad,
>and all. And good posts, too; rather honorable sheets of prose. And, from
>now on, when a victim calls the abuser an asshole, for instance, you will
>not stand for that any longer, because "It is very offensive to call
>someone names; my mother did it too, and I feel really compelled to speak
>out to you now." And you feel good about yourself. Not only that, but you
>convince yourself, "See? Liz is not really all that bad. Actually, there
>would be peace if only the others would let up on her." And you really DO
>feel good about yourself; because that little voice, that used to be your
>conscience, is readily stilled, since you finally spoke out against "evil".
>She has you beat up her victims, and has you feel like a real humanitarian
>for doing so. And why? Because she catered to your ego, alleviated you of
>your slumbering feelings of guilt for having stayed silent for so long,
>whilst now you are finally combating "evil" again. My henpecked heroes!
>Vanity, man's greatest vice.
>
>Then outsiders come in, bluntly posting how not Liz is the abuser, but how
>she is really the victim. And you feel more empowered than ever; for that
>little voice--that has grown smaller, but just won't go away--can again,
>because of that outside validation, be covered with a new layer of
>innocence.
>
>All you have to do, is occasionally look the other way. And it is true, she
>never made anyone do it. She never twisted your head; you just turned it
>yourself; because she showed you a prettier picture of yourself than what
>you were willing to face. Vanity, man's greatest vice.
>
>For Carey, and especially for our beloved Debster, I will no longer look
>the other way.
>
>- Mark
>
> System Administrator asarian-host.net
>
>---
>"If you were supposed to understand it,
>we wouldn't call it code." - FedEx
Bikerbabe
This is a very good post and I found myself nodding my head in agreement.
You said it very well, thank you.
How are you by the way, which is the important question here? I truly hope
that things are getting better, hang there hon, because there are alot of
people who care about you here...me included :)
hugs,
bikerbabe
"Kaitlyn" <sava...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:60rfhtc6ren82p1a7...@4ax.com...