Re: Al Gore where are you?

["Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms>]

> I do think it is strange how a person you
> are never likely to interact with, other
> than very briefly here, would ever become
> important enough to you to have any real
> emotions about, positive or negative.

The following isn't meant to be an indictment
of anyone in particular.  It's just my opinion
of what motivates some people (not necessarily
specific person) to behave the way they do.
It's too simple to adequately explain all of the
complex things going on in any one person's
head.  But I think it helps explain things a bit.

What it all boils down to is there are some folks
who *need* to have an enemy.  Without someone
against whom they can vent their rage they feel
lost and without purpose.  They fear to express
such feelings in person because they'd get
smacked around or at least shunned.  Unsuccessful
in forming real world relationships, they come online
looking for some form of human interaction.  What
they find is petty squabbles over who has the right
to say what and whether "any primate" can perform
some simple task.  Lacking the social skills to
build online friendships, they resort to bullying
and feigned rage.  This usually garners the newbie
a brief "honeymoon" where those on one side or
the other of a given argument post some back
slapping, high five comments.

The honeymoon quickly fades because the person
doesn't interact any better online than in person.
Left without the sought after camaraderie, the
individual resorts to the one thing that gained him
some favor (however briefly).  He posts with
ever-increasing rage and wanders farther and
farther away from normalcy.  In the end you have
someone whose only contribution (or at least the
major portion of it) is vitriol.

It's unfortunate that some folks are so desperate
that they feel compelled to behave like that.  In
the end they harm themselves far more than
their intended victims.  I can think of at least
two people here who are likely working themselves
up to a CVA like a certain poor guy from NJ.
Meanwhile, I'm building my business and having
a lot of fun doing it.  I make a decent living, part
of it directly from the newsgroup.

Life is good, however much of it you have.  Why
waste it on rage?  I've been indirectly "blessed"
with something many people my age don't have
-- an awareness of my own mortality.  With that
awareness came a choice.  I could become
angry, depressed and blame my troubles on
everyone else.  Or I could spend most of my
energy fighting the cancer and the rest enjoying
every day I have.  I chose the latter option.  I
don't know that doing so makes me a better
person but it allows me to enjoy life a heck of a
lot more.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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