Praise and Insults

[Mole]

Insults are bad but praise is worse, for praise feels good and I want to repeat the feeling. So I try to repeat what I have written. And this is fatal, for then I am writing a copy - dead prose - in the hope of praise.

Praise is as seductive as honey and leads me by the nose into a nosedive.

The road to hell, they tell me, is paved with good intentions; and the road to dullness is littered with praise.

The first thing I had to learn on the internet was to be insulted by perfect strangers, and the second thing was to be poisoned by their praise.

At times I fool myself and tell myself I am relying on the kindness of strangers, when I should heed my mother's words and beware of stranger danger.

 

[Totenkindly]

Insults are bad but praise is worse, for praise feels good and I want to repeat the feeling. So I try to repeat what I have written. And this is fatal, for then I am writing a copy - dead prose - in the hope of praise.

Praise is as seductive as honey and leads me by the nose into a nosedive.

The road to hell, they tell me, is paved with good intentions; and the road to dullness is littered with praise.

The first thing I had to learn on the internet was to be insulted by perfect strangers, and the second thing was to be poisoned by their praise.

At times I fool myself and tell myself I am relying on the kindness of strangers, when I should heed my mother's words and beware of stranger danger.

Actually, from what you've written, the fault lies not in the stranger's praise for your efforts but instead in your attempts to recreate the behavior that the stranger praised in order to receive ongoing strokes.

 

[Oberon]

The road to hell, they tell me, is paved with good intentions; and the road to dullness is littered with praise.

You're correct, Victor. Perhaps the road to happiness, then, is so hard to find because it is fogged with ambiguity?

I can't tell you how much I appreciate you starting this thread.

 

[King sns]

Insults are bad but praise is worse, for praise feels good and I want to repeat the feeling. So I try to repeat what I have written. And this is fatal, for then I am writing a copy - dead prose - in the hope of praise.

Praise is as seductive as honey and leads me by the nose into a nosedive.

The road to hell, they tell me, is paved with good intentions; and the road to dullness is littered with praise.

The first thing I had to learn on the internet was to be insulted by perfect strangers, and the second thing was to be poisoned by their praise.

At times I fool myself and tell myself I am relying on the kindness of strangers, when I should heed my mother's words and beware of stranger danger.

As your friend, I'm going to have to tell you that this OP sucks and you're going to have to continue to strive for a better OP. I am not challenged. I am not enthused.

(There, how's that? Does that help?)

 

[Oaky]

Insults are bad but praise is worse, for praise feels good and I want to repeat the feeling. So I try to repeat what I have written. And this is fatal, for then I am writing a copy - dead prose - in the hope of praise.

What if someone is praised for their ability to be able to continuously bring about something new. Will this not push them further to always bring about something new?

 

[Coriolis]

Develop a sound understanding of who you are, and you will neither need anyone's praise, nor be bothered by anyone's insults.

 

[ThatGirl]

What if someone is praised for their ability to be able to continuously bring about something new. Will this not push them further to always bring about something new?

You should probably note that new doesn't always equal improvement.

 

[Mole]

Actually, from what you've written, the fault lies not in the stranger's praise for your efforts but instead in your attempts to recreate the behavior that the stranger praised in order to receive ongoing strokes.

Yes it's true, I am like a cat, on being stroked, looks for more.

And who can blame me? Who doesn't love being praised? And after all, even God only wants our praise. Surely I can't do any better than God.

And yet at it's heart, if I accept your praise, I must accept your blame. In other words, if I accept your praise or blame, I am accepting your control. And if there is anything I resist, it is control.

So when I write to you, I am inherently taking a risk. And I am risking your praise or your blame. To be free I must give up trying to control whether you blame or praise me. And hey, that's a bit scary.

So not being able or willing to depend on external praise or blame, I can only look into myself for orientation.

 

[Mole]

You should probably note that new doesn't always equal improvement.

It's true, the new needs to be analysed, evaluated and integrated. The new needs to be analysed to be understood; and the new needs to be evaluated to see if it is any good; and finally, if it is any good, it needs to the be integrated into what we already know to be good.

However without something new, we have nothing to analyse, evaluate and integrate.

 

[Mole]

Develop a sound understanding of who you are, and you will neither need anyone's praise, nor be bothered by anyone's insults.

Yes, I am caught between two needs. My need to be free and independent and my need for intimacy. Both needs are good but both needs are not always compatible.

We all look for utopia where all our needs are compatible and satisfied. But utopia means nowhere. So nowhere are there entirely compatible needs. To satisfy one need necessarily means another goes wanting.

At Easter it might be appropriate to say that we are crucified between two competing needs, nailed to each hand, pulling us apart and eventually suffocating us.

This is the human condition, far too much to bear, so we look forward in hope to the resurrection where all contradictions will be resolved.

For the Lord of the Dance, click on -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqdATYOpIM

 

[Mole]

As your friend, I'm going to have to tell you that this OP sucks and you're going to have to continue to strive for a better OP. I am not challenged. I am not enthused.

(There, how's that? Does that help?)

That's perfect.

 

[Mole]

You're correct, Victor. Perhaps the road to happiness, then, is so hard to find because it is fogged with ambiguity?

I can't tell you how much I appreciate you starting this thread.

Yes, we all walk on two legs. And with two legs, we are inherently ambiguous.

We solve the problem by taking one step at a time. But at times this seems a little pedestrian, so we listen to the rhythm of our steps and before long, we find we are dancing.

So I am starting to wonder whether dance is based on our very own ambiguity - the ambiguity of left and right; the ambiguity of two feet. Which one shall we listen to? Can we, with a little magic, listen to both? Can we dance to our own ambiguity?

For the Lord of the Dance, click on -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqdATYOpIM