3 ms·

Am I the only one who thinks it's a little distracting how artificially formal this guy is? Anyway, it's freakin obvious how much easier it is to pull a trigge

by thenmar 13y ago

Am I the only one who thinks it's a little distracting how artificially formal this guy is? Anyway, it's freakin obvious how much easier it is to pull a trigger with only a little hesitation than to get a brick out and beat somebody to death. I don't understand how you don't see that. It's like you've already made your decision and no matter what anyone says, you're 100% confident you can explain it away before you even see it.

benched 13y ago
No. I have the urge to tag every post of his with 'Congratulations on talking so pretty," but I don't want to be banned.
- aaronem 13y ago
  Why, you flatter me, sir! I am just a half-bright reader of old books who feels himself moved to imitate, however poorly, the gracious use of language he finds therein -- but I thank you very kindly, all the same.
aaronem 13y ago
I do delight in the use of formal language, and thank you for the compliment inherent in the adverb you chose; the best things in life, after all, are the result of artifice. It's obvious enough that killing someone with a firearm is easier than doing likewise with a brick. For a civilized, i.e. domesticated, human, acting upon the urge to kill at all is harder than either; a large part of what we call "civilization" consists in overcoming our murderous heritage. (Or did you think we humans have ended up our entire planet's uncontested apex predator, so much so that many of us never even have to hunt, because we're just so nice?) And have you considered the possibility that, once you've clobbered somebody in the head with a brick the first time, your perspective on the matter might change? God forfend I should ever find myself in such a position! But I think it reasonable to imagine that, once there, it might seem at least as sensible to keep going as to stop. "Escalation of commitment," I think it's called.

by thenmar 13y ago

benched 13y ago

No. I have the urge to tag every post of his with 'Congratulations on talking so pretty," but I don't want to be banned.

aaronem 13y ago
Why, you flatter me, sir! I am just a half-bright reader of old books who feels himself moved to imitate, however poorly, the gracious use of language he finds therein -- but I thank you very kindly, all the same.

aaronem 13y ago

I do delight in the use of formal language, and thank you for the compliment inherent in the adverb you chose; the best things in life, after all, are the result of artifice. It's obvious enough that killing someone with a firearm is easier than doing likewise with a brick. For a civilized, i.e. domesticated, human, acting upon the urge to kill at all is harder than either; a large part of what we call "civilization" consists in overcoming our murderous heritage. (Or did you think we humans have ended up our entire planet's uncontested apex predator, so much so that many of us never even have to hunt, because we're just so nice?) And have you considered the possibility that, once you've clobbered somebody in the head with a brick the first time, your perspective on the matter might change? God forfend I should ever find myself in such a position! But I think it reasonable to imagine that, once there, it might seem at least as sensible to keep going as to stop. "Escalation of commitment," I think it's called.