A Brutal End

[Quibble]

I have been trying to understand your affliction for a couple days now, all I really can say is some things are better kept to yourself and not put out on a public bulletin board for examination by folks that will react in a negative way.

Then in your attempts to defend yourself, you just keep putting more and more gruesome details in your posts, effectively digging the hole deeper and deeper.

This is just an observation and in no way meant to be disrespectful.

I agree with Wayne: No disrespect, but be aware of your audience before you 'Submit Reply'.

[Stefan-A]

I agree with ConcinnusMan. Not with what he does (you need to look past that part, it distracts you from the real issue), but with the idea that hatred, much like phobias, tends to be blind and at the point when it's triggered, logic usually goes right out the window. Don't think you're not capable of the same sort of reaction. In fact, based on what I've read recently, I'd say that most, if not all of you, could fairly easily be conditioned to do the same things to another human.

Make no mistake about it, it's no excuse for any behavior and I don't think it was ever presented as such.

As for him choosing his words and venue more carefully, I think that would have been a good idea.

[infernalis]

I for one agree very much with Stefan, and would like to apologize to Richard if I went too far overboard with any of my replies.

At some point the varied personalities of a group this large is going to create some form of disagreement.

The beauty of it is that one can review the many different viewpoints and possibly see thing in a different light by the time the discussion is concluded.

In a nutshell, I think the point he was trying to make is that when we see someone hacking a snake to bits is that in some instances, no amount of "educating" will "cure" that person.

They may even speak with you rationally after the fact, express remorse and even thank you for speaking with them.

Until the next snake crosses their path and the irrational fear/loathing takes over once again as they run for the nearest shovel.

As a group of snake loving people, most all of us will not find any rationale to anyone hacking up a garter snake.

That was Steve's intentions when he started this thread

[Mommy2many]

Well said. Again, no disrespect was meant and to some point I did understand your point, Cman. However, it probably could have been put across to the members in a less gruesome manner.

On to the next post.

[shaunyboy]

I don't expect you to believe anything. It is what it is and it doesn't matter if you believe it. I don't like it any more than you do.

that being the case then should you not try and address this problem.i am sorry for my blunt post mate.your obviously an intelligent guy so why would you not try and get some help with these issues ? why just accept " oh well i kill these things and thats all there is to it " its not within the boundrys of normal decent behaviour and you say you dont like having that particular trait.so do something about it mate.i could even make sense of your post if you had been attacked by a possum as a child or some kind of bad experience with them.i really cant get my head round it mate .....!!!
cheers shaun

[ConcinusMan]

I for one agree very much with Stefan, and would like to apologize to Richard if I went too far overboard with any of my replies.

In a nutshell, I think the point he was trying to make is that when we see someone hacking a snake to bits is that in some instances, no amount of "educating" will "cure" that person.

They may even speak with you rationally after the fact, express remorse and even thank you for speaking with them.

Until the next snake crosses their path and the irrational fear/loathing takes over once again as they run for the nearest shovel.

As a group of snake loving people, most all of us will not find any rationale to anyone hacking up a garter snake.

That was Steve's intentions when he started this thread

What he said ^^^. We find no rationale in hacking up a harmless snake because there is no rational reason to do so. And that's the point that I was trying to make. It's not rational at all. I think everyone got the point now. Sorry about the gruesome details.

[shaunyboy]

[QUOTE=Stefan-A;132764]I agree with ConcinnusMan. Not with what he does (you need to look past that part, it distracts you from the real issue), but with the idea that hatred, much like phobias, tends to be blind and at the point when it's triggered, logic usually goes right out the window. Don't think you're not capable of the same sort of reaction. In fact, based on what I've read recently, I'd say that most, if not all of you, could fairly easily be conditioned to do the same things to another human.


its a fair enough explaination that when a phobia kicks in all rational thought and logic goes out the window.

so its just ok to accept this behaviour in oneself ???

as for " dont think you're not capable of the same sort of reaction "

i have to disagree.there is nothing that would prompt me to kill something for no apparent reason.all life is precious to kill without a very very good reason is just plain wrong...!!

to use the excuse i have a phobia or a hate for it to kill something imo is a cop out for lack of self control.

i mean no mallice in my post and these are only my own humble opinion.
cheers shaun

[ConcinusMan]

I think what stefan was trying to say is basically this: If you're human, you are capable of an irrational reaction. You are not exempt from behaving in such a manner. ALL OF YOU react irrationally to something whether you choose to admit it or not. It has nothing to do with self-control.

[Stefan-A]

its a fair enough explaination that when a phobia kicks in all rational thought and logic goes out the window.

so its just ok to accept this behaviour in oneself ???

Like I said, it's not an excuse.

as for " dont think you're not capable of the same sort of reaction "

i have to disagree.there is nothing that would prompt me to kill something for no apparent reason.all life is precious to kill without a very very good reason is just plain wrong...!!

Feel free to disagree. But I want to point out that everyone who has ever killed something intentionally, has had a reason for it, whether we would approve of that reason, or not.

to use the excuse i have a phobia or a hate for it to kill something imo is a cop out for lack of self control.

That something can be explained, doesn't make it an excuse (as in absolving of responsibility).

But you can't really blame people with no self-control for not gaining self-control. That would require self-control.

[ConcinusMan]

Look guys, to suggest I have no self-control is a little insulting. I have been to hello and back again, from the brink of death due to drug addiction. I now have more self-control than you'll ever know. You don't know what kind of self-control it takes to keep from going down that road again. It's the kind of self-control that nobody who hasn't been there could understand, and so it makes my reaction to possums a trivial problem, at the bottom of my list of priorities.