The Belief in Personal Experience

[Mole]

Personal experience is what makes this site great.
If it wasn't for us all sitting around here and talking about personal experience, then what would be the point?
We would just make a book list of things to read and classes to take.
Personal experience is what we have- and its great to see all the viewpoints of real people- not just what we read in books or areas of expertise. (OR some random profound and original idea that we've just invented. In which case we'd be at the genius convention, not here.)

I do agree that quoting personal experience for an argument or as gospel can get awfully annoying! But, I guess that's just the nature of these kinds of discussions. (In my experience, anyways !!! )

If we were only allowed to talk about these great broad views that we've developed or had some area of expertise, then this site would be a pretty desolate land. (And a boring one at that!) We go to work and school to talk about things that we know for fact, right? Why not spew off some opinions and stories for fun?

(Excuse my dogma, by the way. I know this sets typologycentral back in it's broader mission to achieve larger social ends.)

The really nicest thing is to marry personal experience with the experience of our family, our peers, our affiliations and our culture.

Our own personal experience is directly available to us but our experience of our family, our peers, our clubs, societies and religions, not to mention the worlds of science, literature and art, are all mediated to us by language, literacy and the internet.

For instance a poem based entirely on personal experience is mawkish.

But a poem that addresses the whole world, including personal experience, lifts off, takes off and flies.

To talk only in terms of personal experience is like crawling awkwardly along the bottom of the ocean like a crab, when you could be flying like a stingray or cruising like a shark or floating like a jellyfish in the wide and free, deep blue sea.

But most of all our well-being and our happiness depend on finding something larger than ourselves.

And indeed our happiness and well-being depend on our gratitude for something larger than ourselves.

 

[Mole]

ha ha ha...how ironic of you to point out that you think your personal experience is best

Oops, - you caught me.

 

[Mole]

Personal experience is what makes this site great.

And when you limit yourself to personal experience you lead yourself open to scamsters like Mrs Briggs and Mrs Myers.

And when you limit yourself to personal experience, you limit others to personal experience.

And you limit others to personal experience for a purpose - so they can be scammed as well.

And hey, look at us - if we are all being scammed, no one is being scammed - there is no one responsible - there is no one in charge - we are finally our own authority - no more teachers, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks.

But most of all, you limit yourself to personal experience because it is your cultural imperative.

And naturally you want to be good, your want to be a good girl, so you do as you culture tells you and you limit yourself to personal experience with a clear conscience.

 

[Mole]

Wow, this thread exudes spite, I can feel it.

Spite is very interesting, isn't it?

Spite means you have come too close to the bone.

 

[Oom]

Spite is very interesting, isn't it?

Spite means you have come too close to the bone.

Main Entry:
1spite Listen to the pronunciation of 1spite
Pronunciation:
\ˈspīt\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, short for despite
Date:
14th century

1 : petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart


No, no it doesn't

 

[Mole]

Main Entry:
1spite Listen to the pronunciation of 1spite
Pronunciation:
\ˈspīt\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, short for despite
Date:
14th century

1 : petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart


No, no it doesn't

Hey, Oom, you have successfully contradicted me.

And you did draw attention to a most interesting emotion.

So you are well worth your salt.

And, "spite", reveals the deeper disposition.

It gets below the phoney self designed to look good in the eyes of others and shows the true feeling.

Spite is an authentic emotion because it comes unbiden, And it is so ugly, we instinctively recoil.

As, "Spite", is the name of the snake in the Garden of Eden.

And it was Spite who tempted Eve. And it was Spite that Eve gave into to.

And ever since, spite has been the snake in our bosom.

The repressed are repressive, and are so ugly they must hide their ugliness behind a mask of goodness and innocence.

But spite always tells the truth.

 

[Oom]

True, spite does always speak the truth. I just wish it wouldn't speak at all.