chatting with k.gray this evening made me realise that I can be a tad argumentative. Also, I am very guarded with my opinions ... well, maybe just my true opinions ... I am completely not guarded about random and useful-for-the-argument opinions.
Actually, what may be more accurate is to say that two aspects of opinions serve to make me wary of discussing them. Firstly, some opinions are so obvious that I just don't want to talk about them - for example: "sex with prepubescent children is bad". I will argue against this conclusion if anyone brings it up just because I hate conversations where everybody is obviously on the same page.
The second problem is that issues that are not obvious are pretty much very complicated. I feel, in many situations, that I tend in one direction but I am not willing to become complacent nor dogmatic. So, I argue or pick holes and definitely choose the side of the issue that others aren't taking. I always thought it a good thing, a selling point, if you will. I was the guy who sought out the quirks of a issue, made sure it was presented fully.
But, I probably should present myself as the agreeable person I am. I mean, I usually agree with my friends. Sure, there are probably some good things about the seal cull, which I will certainly bring up, but in general I am against bludgeoning seals to death. Yeah, there is something to be said about higher education being made more inaccessible, which you can be sure I will argue vociferously for, but I really believe that education should be freely available. I'll write an essay stating that the point of human evolution is for us to go faster and harder until we build that fucking tower and shake God's hand, but I also really enjoy relaxing with friends by a lake roasting potatoes over a scavenged wood fire (the ashes scattered in the forest, of course). And, as time goes on, I appreciate the latter more and more.
Anyway, the main point of this is to say that I have become accustomed to being the foil and if it bugs you, just tap me on the arm and tell me that now is not the time for me to be pointing out the flaws in your premises and I will back off and just enjoy the sunset or baklava or whatever. I was enjoying it before, believe you me, but I can shut up so we can enjoy it together. But be aware that, every now and then, I may need to explore an issue in its minutia. This goes for all of you. Except my argumentative friends. We can continue on in the same vein until we are old and arguing about ... I don't know ... whether virtual reality is good or not (it isn't but I will argue that it is).
The conversation that K and I were having was about the 100 mile diet. The idea, which may or may not be a good thing in itself, is more important, as K pointed out, as a catalyst to encourage one to recognise the importance of food in one's life, to develop a sense of place and a sense of attachment to your food which nourishes and sustains you. It sounds hippy-dippy, and it probably is, but it sure resonated last night (it did, I swear K!).
That said, I thought I would throw a couple of links from metafilter, which is a community blog populated by people like me, about that issue, about how to improve one's relationship to food and about a recent article stating that even skinny people are fat . Then I can remain neutral and still get my kicks.
comments on the 100 mile diet
comments on the relationship to food
article
comments on the article
5 comments:
Look. Obviously you're procrastinating when you should be studying. If you don't want to be a doctor, just say so.
Only people who totally abandon morals and personal lives get to go to med school in Canada.
In Australia, the only requirement is the abandonment of personal hygiene.
that is true. The first part at least.
the second, who knows.
the third, we will know for sure in what, 30-ish day?
i think my point was more that your constant playing of the devil's advocate implies that one doesn't have a mind critical enough to question one's own beliefs. i find this a bit...well, frustrating to put it mildly, and condescending at times. a conversation about beliefs does not always have to turn into a demonstration of the skills one learned in the high school debate team. and sometimes you become what you argue. lookout.
but, of course, it is good to be occasionally shaken. time and place, time and place.
this is just, of course, what i get out of it. doesn't mean it's your intention. and, well, arguing is what makes matt the matt i adore, no?
I strongly disagree with your views on virtual reality.
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