Originally posted by Nick Bourbaki
If you are saying that people should be steered towards being impartial in discussions, then I strenuously disagree ~ although my disagreement is irrelevant as such 'impartiality' would be utterly impossible to achieve and utterly undesirable.
Of course - poor choice of words on my part. Actually, I did not mean
impartiality, because none of us are, but rather
objectivity.
Well, on second thoughts, who is objective either? I suppose what I mean really boils down to just sticking to a subject without personal attacks.
there was absolutely nothing that went on between you and twhitehead that came anywhere remotely near needing moderation or adjudication. If you were to envisage your "appeal court of peers" idea to be activated by the kind of verbal friction that there was between you two, I think it would be a terrible idea.
OK, scrap that. How would you suggest that a similar conflict be resolved? (assuming, of course, that it is worth resolving.) Also assuming that both parties wish to retain their credibility and honour.
If you are familiar with the Johari Window, let me practice a bit of "disclosure" here. Actually, I have in the past quite enjoyed my sparring with twhitehead. And I have said so to him. However, when I read the comment "he will probably try to wriggle out of this one for about twenty posts" I really and truly felt totally deflated and, yes, insulted. I had no desire to continue the discussion at all, since there was clearly no respect on that side. So why waste my time? Those were my true feelings.
Then, when he challenged me to show where and why I accused him, I was equally dumbfounded. Can it be that he REALLY did not know?
Later I read and re-read his post to see whether there was a chance that I had (perhaps) over-reacted, and it seems to me that it there was indeed a possibility that I may have. But by that time it was too late, and I had retaliated in kind.
But it had absolutely nothing to do with me wanting to avoid any particular discussion, and I would be only too willing to pick up the
Principles of OT Laws in another thread.
So, after all is said and done, no arbitration needed.
I'm prepared to say to twhitehead let bygones be bygones, and let's not have a permanent rift. Especially not with a fellow countryman.
CJ