Drat! Success?!
Easy come easy go. I thought I ingeniously discovered something after but a brief moment of search, but was only to be later shot down with the revelation that I had found the closest possible alternative to what I was actually searching for, but not the thing in itself (Oh Kant). As for the title of this post, it is descriptive of a scenario I recently encountered. I am reading C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. A muse informed me that if I were skilled enough to read between the lines, it would be an extremely helpful guide for me to achieve my desires (i.e. the destruction of the faiths of others). Quite the exciting possibility, to say the least. I already must admit that it has shown me some ways to revolutionize my tactics. However, yesterday night, I was discussing said possibilities with a friend of mine (a man of the faith, if you will). He, very uncharacteristically I might add, became outraged with me. Angry enough to devolve to name calling (not at me, but at atheists in general (a category of them I suppose)). Now, considering that one of my new tactics gained from my reading was that I should not directly attack faith (that will only make it stronger by forcing someone to defend it), I have decided to offer people alternatives to the unsavory characteristics of their faiths. My friend likened this to pure evil, which I argued was ridiculous because I am not impeding anyone's free will; they can follow me by choice only. After a bit of this, he became very angry. I am uncertain what to think of this. I have mixed feelings. I am not entirely pleased with my friend being angry with me, but in the same vein his being angry is contrary to his faith, which is useful. I did evoke rage in him without directly attack his faith. Based on all this, I am uncertain if this was a success entirely, because it won't do anything to take him away from his faith, but it does help if he fails to practice his faith correctly. Moreover, I am not entirely sure I am content with a friend angry (at least not at me). Oh well, we'll see how I do in the long run.