Once again it has proven to be the case that ...

[lazrus_armagedn]

a) you should never talk to anyone you don't know IRL

b) some people's conceit means that they are as bad (if not worse) than the hypocrites and bigots they complain about so loudly

c) if all you can hear is yourself, it's time you shut up and gave someone else a chance

Comments

[lazrus_armagedn]

Undeniably true ... Although US culture has been the most alien to me thus far - Despite the seemingly glaring differences between the various European cultures (such as speaking different languages), living in continental Europe for seven years I found that the US is still more alien at the end of the day

But yeah, you're right ... the cultural references are what make the biggest difference (what you read as a child, what was on TV last week, etc.)

Having said all that, however, I have, with the years, discovered that there are similar modes of thought and behaviour common to people from all over the World, rgardless of culture or language (snobbery, for instance, is snobbery wherever you're from and driven by the same motivations, by and large) - And I always seem to be the outsider, even amongst those who are considered (or even consider themsleves) to be outsiders ... *sigh* [1]I'm coming to the conclusion though, that there is a real danger in attempting to communicate with people via any medium other than telephone or direct

[lazrus_armagedn]

Even then it's problematic

I'm a very passionate, volatile personality/character (shoulda been born Spanish, perhaps ;) ... People mistake me getting passionate and frustrated in the heat of the moment for aggression, becaue they are bad users of language and, therefore, do not get the intonation in semantic context ... misinterpret the body language as a result and are then rude/aggressive to me

I pick up on that and get (understandably) offended because I wasn't so towards them

After three frustrating attempts to resolve the issue, during which they point-blank refuse to consider any interpretation than their initial one, I get (understandably) genuinely pissed off - See here for an example

So, even face-to-face ain't that great :( ... *sigh*

And yet, somehow, great literature gets written without the aid of smileys/emoticons and people don't get up in arms about how they have been personally insulted by the author - Why is that, do you suppose?

[lazrus_armagedn]

Undoubtedly, you are right about the editing process resulting in greater literature than it miht have been without recourse to that editing

But then surely, all else being equal, all literature would be great ... But it isn't, so, clearly, there's more to it than simply the editin process

Moreover, if it were a one-sided process then trash/pulp fiction would not be so much more popular than so much of our great literature - Dickens would be more popular than Jackie Collins or Jeffry Archer

Literature, great or otherwise, doesn't come with emoticons ... When you listen to the audiobook of Pygmalion or watch a performance of A Comedy of Errors you don't get a laughter-track