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There's something very enticing about someone who's principled and has managed to stick to their principles. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it in Stallm

There's something very enticing about someone who's principled and has managed to stick to their principles. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it in Stallman's case. I wish the world had stuck to his principles, but it clearly hasn't and it's unlikely it will ever inch closer. That's not to claim that he should reverse course or abandon his position. It does transform his stance from a political one to a personal one: he's choosing what he'll allow in his life or not, consequences be damned. I've tried this in my own life with varying degrees of intensity and success, and I'm not sure if I'm jealous of Stallman or not. Is he lonely? Has he missed out on people or experiences? (almost certainly) Do his stances give him the fulfillment he believes they do?

earenndil 8y ago
> I wish the world had stuck to his principles, but it clearly hasn't and it's unlikely it will ever inch closer This puts perfectly my thoughts on stallman. I think the world would certainly be a better place if everyone adhered to his principles. However, I think his way is neither the best way nor the improvement which can most successfully be brought into action.
- marssaxman 8y ago
  I don't think it is necessary that everyone does things Stallman's way; the fact that rms knows what his principles are, articulates them clearly, and lives according to them consistently provides an informative example from which the rest of us can borrow whichever elements we find useful. We don't all need to live like Stallman does for his ideas to have value, because he's already doing that for us. He is essentially a modern secular prophet.
  - earenndil 8y ago
    But -- I can form my own ideas. I don't think that his ideas are anywhere close to perfect. He seems relatively fixed in his ways, so I don't see him contributing to dialogue or discussion of how ideas can be changed or improved.

earenndil 8y ago

> I wish the world had stuck to his principles, but it clearly hasn't and it's unlikely it will ever inch closer This puts perfectly my thoughts on stallman. I think the world would certainly be a better place if everyone adhered to his principles. However, I think his way is neither the best way nor the improvement which can most successfully be brought into action.

marssaxman 8y ago
I don't think it is necessary that everyone does things Stallman's way; the fact that rms knows what his principles are, articulates them clearly, and lives according to them consistently provides an informative example from which the rest of us can borrow whichever elements we find useful. We don't all need to live like Stallman does for his ideas to have value, because he's already doing that for us. He is essentially a modern secular prophet.
- earenndil 8y ago
  But -- I can form my own ideas. I don't think that his ideas are anywhere close to perfect. He seems relatively fixed in his ways, so I don't see him contributing to dialogue or discussion of how ideas can be changed or improved.