the propeace community - A.R.C.* - Comments

Re: A.R.C.

Rainbow Brain — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:24:11 -0400

Jimmi James wrote:

I will take your feelings with me and make the most of them.

Hey*Jimmi,

thank*you for your kind words, hope you enjoyed your visit with the Ladies of the Vale, and next time your by that way give a nod from*me, to B. Chad ;)

BL*M

Re: some more banter

Rainbow Brain — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:26:02 -0400

i*am indeed referring to the modern American clichÃƒÂ© you speak of. It is a very weak, yet somewhat still useful translation of the original thought. One that needs very much at this time to be clarified to many.

If one takes the road to generalizations, which is certainly possible in every situation, as my blurb on intelligence and success very much allows and in general attempts to point out the fact that is just what most people do, then one has scrummed to the generalization of one self. So perhaps you can see that as generalizations they can, will and do hold true, but as realities they tend to be well, generalized ;)

Just as this response once generalized will probably serve to confuse and offer further misunderstanding to many who read it ;)

It*Happens, and so we continue ;)

BL*M

some more banter

stereoman — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 19:52:15 -0400

Thanks for your reply, Brian. Obviously there is a misunderstanding. I offered that I might have been mistaken in my assumption as to what you were referring to in your opening adage, but you have offered no clarification except to repeat that it was a reference to a 2000 year old statement. This leads me to believe that you were not referring to the much more modern American cliche about "teaching a man to fish" and I can certainly accept that.

So the question remains: what were you referring to?

I am also at a loss to understand this statement:

Quote:

In my experience, I have not found either of these generalizations to hold true.

Steve

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Our lives begin to end the moment that we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Re: a practical lesson

Rainbow Brain — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:18:03 -0400

Hey*Steve,

you seem to be over laying concepts and words into my posting that are preconceived notions of what others have to say on these issues, i did not advocate to "teach" any*one, any*thing. There is a big difference in providing opportunity and in teaching or preaching to another. As for the origins of poverty and homelessness, one needs only to scrutinize ones own life to see the cause, affects and effects of these situations. Labeling someone's opinion as "Algeresque nonsense" and assuming that they "blame" any individual, poor or otherwise as the sole contributor of their condition and situation is developing a rather narrow perspective without first attempting to understand the complexity behind what is being said and/or offered. The 2000+ year*old statement, is still valid, in so much as it only requires updating and clarification, having been given to a certain group in a context which they could grasp and share with others, it served its purpose. That many have taken the lesson and used it to promote their own agenda, attack and label others and generally degrade its meaning to the point which terms like "Algeresque nonsense" can be applied to it, is simply a continuation of the very lack of understanding and compassion which supports such banter offered up to soften ones fear of the Ragged Dicks of which Mr. Alger was so adept at making his living off of.

Perhaps a practical lesson would be:

Intelligent individuals and successful people do one thing more exceptional than everyone else, they state the obvious well. The mistake everyone else makes is they attribute success to intelligence, therefore intelligent individuals may certainly become successful people, but success in and of itself is not a measure of intelligence, it is merely a measure of status within a given and generally limited set of parameters, which are waiting, willing and eager to apply their boot and strap to those who do not measure up.

BL*M
The 13-Establishments of Truth

a practical lesson

stereoman — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 21:44:24 -0400

The origins of poverty and homelessness are worthy of careful scrutiny, and I think offer great insight about what is the nature of "fishing". I am always interested in learning what others see as the way to teach the homeless how to fish, and the reasoning behind it.

I am also curious as to the reference to a statement made to a group of fisherman 2000 years ago. Perhaps I am making mistaken assumptions, and the writer is referring to some statement other than

Quote:

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

As far as I am aware, this statement has its origins in the same Algeresque nonsense that lays all blame for poverty upon the individual who fails to muster enough initiative to "pull himself up by his own bootstraps".

Steve

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Our lives begin to end the moment that we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

A.R.C.

Jimmi James — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 05:31:50 -0400

It's a beautiful warm sunny day in England and I have just read your latest offering of L.O.V.E.
It has given me a lovely start to my Saturday- first item on my day's
list of nice things to do; a trip to Litchfield cathedral.
I will take your feelings with me and make the most of them.

A.R.C.*

Rainbow Brain — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 19:28:50 -0400

Give a homeless man pocket change and you feed him for a day, provide him opportunity to change and he will feed himself for life. Most people are familiar with the version of the above statement that was made to a group of fisherman over 2000 years ago. Mans relationship with this fundamental principle has changed little since that time, although the basic understanding of this method for lasting change is widely accepted and practiced to a limited degree.