Is our generation capable of pathos without auto-irony?

[Ideologue]

I wonder if being gay has played a role in this for me since it makes me an outsider to a degree in most such cases.

Don't take away his self-imposed victimhood. It's the only source of comfort he has

I was just hoping we could get through one thread without an irrelevant reference to homosexuality.  If this thread was about participating in a threesome, then sure gay the shit out of the thread.  On a topic like this though, really?

I think it was germane.

[The Brain]

I wonder if being gay has played a role in this for me since it makes me an outsider to a degree in most such cases.

Don't take away his self-imposed victimhood. It's the only source of comfort he has

I was just hoping we could get through one thread without an irrelevant reference to homosexuality.  If this thread was about participating in a threesome, then sure gay the shit out of the thread.  On a topic like this though, really?

I think it was germane.

Let's get serious.

[garbon]

I think it was germane.

That's nice.

[Ideologue]

Well, it made sense to me.

Anyway, to answer Mart's question, it's certainly possible, but maybe not possible for you, at least without some kind of fundamental change in how you relate to the world.

This is hardly a slam; I tend to be the same way.

At the same time, I'm capable of being moved by others' pain.*  Like, the other day, I was reading about this mentally challenged dude who was a huge, huge Superman fan.  His house had been broken into, and much of his Superman comic and memorabilia collection was stolen.  His story wound up getting local media play, and blossomed on the Internet, and there's a campaign underway to assist him in rebuilding his collection.  The victim, in thanks, said "I have never felt so much love in my life; I no longer feel like the Frankenstein monster. I feel that people understand me now, for the first time in my life" and that made me cry.  Possibly because I'm the non-/less-retarded version of this guy?  I dunno.  It just broke my heart a bit at the same time it made me feel like people aren't completely worthless scum.

So while ritual matters little to me, and communal emotion is probably inaccessible to me, people can still touch me.

In fact, I wish more people touched me.

What was this about again?


*I am also capable of feeling annoyed by their triumphs, but that's just my way.

[Barrister]

The problem is that being a team sports fan is incredibly childish and working class.

That's what makes sports awesome though.

[Martinus]

For the record, I am not "practicing detachment" like grallon. I have always wanted to keep moved by grand ritual - I enjoy music, emotionally, for this very reason, and I have tried several religions in the past - but except for the art, I have always got bored very quickly.

[The Brain]

Well, it made sense to me.

Anyway, to answer Mart's question, it's certainly possible, but maybe not possible for you, at least without some kind of fundamental change in how you relate to the world.

This is hardly a slam; I tend to be the same way.

At the same time, I'm capable of being moved by others' pain.*  Like, the other day, I was reading about this mentally challenged dude who was a huge, huge Superman fan.  His house had been broken into, and much of his Superman comic and memorabilia collection was stolen.  His story wound up getting local media play, and blossomed on the Internet, and there's a campaign underway to assist him in rebuilding his collection.  The victim, in thanks, said "I have never felt so much love in my life; I no longer feel like the Frankenstein monster. I feel that people understand me now, for the first time in my life" and that made me cry.  Possibly because I'm the non-/less-retarded version of this guy?  I dunno.  It just broke my heart a bit at the same time it made me feel like people aren't completely worthless scum.

So while ritual matters little to me, and communal emotion is probably inaccessible to me, people can still touch me.

In fact, I wish more people touched me.

What was this about again?


*I am also capable of feeling annoyed by their triumphs, but that's just my way.

I hope you enjoy your collection, monster.

[The Brain]

I enjoy music,

Whoa. This needs a "wide sense" sign to be legal.

[Grallon]

For the record, I am not "practicing detachment" like Grallon. I have always wanted to keep moved by grand ritual - I enjoy music, emotionally, for this very reason, and I have tried several religions in the past - but except for the art, I have always got bored very quickly.

Perhaps you should practice a little then  - it might add depth to your experiences...



G.

[Razgovory]

I have a simpler explanation.  Marty is a self-centered Narcissist.  He has little time for things don't benefit him somehow.

[dps]

I have a simpler explanation.  Marty is a self-centered Narcissist.  He has little time for things don't benefit him somehow.

I don't think that's quite true.  His internet persona does come across that way a lot, but it seems to me that the real problem is that he seems to hold ironic detachment as a positive virtue (though not to the extent of Grallon).  And, to an extent he's right--anyone that doesn't have a certain degree of detachment would probably be so emotionally overwhealmed by modern life that they'd reduced to crying in a corner all the time.  But detachment, as with many things, has both positive and negative consequences, and therefore is probably best practiced in moderation.

[Razgovory]

I have a simpler explanation.  Marty is a self-centered Narcissist.  He has little time for things don't benefit him somehow.

I don't think that's quite true.  His internet persona does come across that way a lot, but it seems to me that the real problem is that he seems to hold ironic detachment as a positive virtue (though not to the extent of Grallon).  And, to an extent he's right--anyone that doesn't have a certain degree of detachment would probably be so emotionally overwhealmed by modern life that they'd reduced to crying in a corner all the time.  But detachment, as with many things, has both positive and negative consequences, and therefore is probably best practiced in moderation.

Narcissist often have this sort of detachment.  Other people are less real to them.

[Ideologue]

You're the realest person I know, Raz.

[garbon]

You're the realest person I know, Raz.

Sounds dreadful on all counts.

[PDH]

Raz stole my explanation