Learn From It

The one and other Diomed embraces.
Our bloods are now in calm; and, so long, health!
But when contention and occasion meet,
By Jove, I'll play the hunter for thy life
With all my force, pursuit and policy.

...Diomedes, to Aeneas, from Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida

I know that many of you will think, “Oh, honey, DUH” when I say this, but being as I am and being no other than I am, I must say it explicitly: I am a man of rather blunt disposition.

This is not to say I am rude, even though I have been called such. All ad hominem arguments, I assure you.

This is not to say I am judgemental. Oh, hell, of course I am. And so are you, so are we all. Language requires judgement, from what to say in the first place, all the way down to deeming exactly which words will suit. And don't forget, I'm writing this in a blog, which is really just a hobby-kit pulpit.

This is not to say that I expect others to assume the complete burden of figuring out what I mean. In fact, it's entirely the opposite. I am assuming the larger burden here.

Being blunt as I am usually only gets me into trouble with those who are as blunt as I am, for whom, perhaps, I am an unwelcome or unexpected mirror, but more likely, for whom I provide unwanted contention. Competition, even.

I can take that, too. I'm a smart fucker. When did it become unfashionable to possess intelligence? Are we at that stage in our increasingly despotic government and culture where those in possession of gifts are suspect? Are people like me, people perhaps different than you, to be distrusted, to be sources of paranoia?

The upside of this is that you always know what I feel, and often what I think (there's not enough bandwidth in realtime to express all the things I think about). There is no second-guessing with me. Question my motives if you will (you know who you are), but never wonder about the content.

This is not to say I am crass, nor to say that I am blunt for the purposes of causing discomfort. That would be contrary and ironic. I am blunt because propriety runs counterpoised to friendship. I am blunt because over the last ten years, I have discovered that Northern Californians speak more and say less than many other people, though by now, I'd be willing to bet the rest have caught up.

I've discovered that it's often those who insist on politesse are merely those who would never stab you in the front because they only go for the kill when you're not facing them. They'd rather be nice, than decent. They'd rather be believed to be decent than actually decent. Charm is more important that care and derision of others makes you superior, that's what those types believe.

And it's more often than not that those who state that “sounding moral or preachy” is a bad thing are usually in the midst of preaching at you about their moral superiority.

I'm not superior to you, except when I am. And when I state that calling you stupid would be an insult to stupid people, I'm just being blunt.

And isn't it charming that I'm quoting a movie while I'm at it?