From Saints, Scholars and Schizophrenics: Mental Illness in Rural Ireland by Nancy Scheper-Hughes. The following is a transcription of an interview with a village tailor, describing the unspoken rules governing the behavior of men in the village.
- We like an honest man, a good living man. One who doesn't interfere in others' business. A man who mingles with all, enjoys life, and shares a pint with any decent fellow. We like a man who is calm, not excessive; a man neither idle nor a slave to his work. A reasonable man should have a rational approach to life. He must be a regular sort of person, eating his meals at the appointed hour, and sleeping at night and not during the day. We prefer a man who is dependable- on time for Mass, and not clattering in at the back of the church like a foreigner. A regular sort of man should dress warm for the rain, and not walk about hatless. For that would be strange. He should be generous to a point, not mean and stingy, but neither should he be a fool, and fling his goods and money away so that his family will suffer. He should be a reasonable man in conversation, having things of interest to discuss, but not given to idle or meaningless words. For, it is written: 'For every idle word a man shall speak, he will render an account on the day of judgement.' We like a man who is at ease with other people, not an awkward kind of man who says nothing or who talks in a loud and gruff manner. We don't like nervous, excitable kind of men who rub and wave their arms about, not knowing the proper place to put them. We like a calm, placid, common sense kind of man.
-March 1975
I like this quote because large sections of this book detail how so much of the expectations of rural Irish behavior/manners is conveyed from person to person in vague, roundabout terms. In fact, there is an extensive section that details the value placed almost universally on 'Irish Wit' or the ability to say one thing and mean completely another by poetic virtue. This statement is the most outright and direct summary of the expectations placed on Irish men, and it leaves little room for acceptable divergence.
The book in general is incredibly interesting, detailing the 'Saints' of various kinds, from harmless eccentric old bachelor farmers who spend long hours 'standing the night' with their cows, reciting rosaries until dawn, to differentiation between 'fools' and 'lunatics.' A 'fool' being a mentally ill person whose behaviors do not directly oppose strong social norms, and treated with fond excuses for their abnormality. A 'lunatic' being a mentally divergent person who has directly violated a strong social norm (Sexual and religious mores composing the most egregious of errors) and who is socially punished as a result, usually with exclusion.
- The supposed right of intolerance is absurd and barbaric. It is the right of the tiger; nay, it is far worse, for tigers do but tear in order to have food, while we rend each other for paragraphs.
Voltaire in the Treatise on Toleration. Loving my French History course.
- 'I'm not a machine. I feel and believe. I have opinions. Some of them are interesting. I could, if you'd let me, talk and talk. Let's talk about anything. I believe the influence of Kierkegaard on Camus is underestimated. I believe Dennis Gabor may very well have been the Antichrist. I believe Hobbes is just Rousseau in a dark mirror. I believe, with Hegel, that transcendence is just absorption. I could interface you guys right under the table,' I say. 'I'm not just a creātus, manufactured, conditioned, bred for a function.'
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
- The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.
- Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"
- When people injure you, ask yourself what harm or good they thought would come of it. If you understand that, you'll feel sympathy rather than outrage or anger. Your sense of good and evil may be the same as theirs, or near it, in which case you have to excuse them. Or your sense of good and evil may differ from theirs. In which case they're misguided and deserve your compassion. Is that so hard?
I picked up a book (from the library) called The Magic of Reality: How Do We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and author of The Selfish Gene. My mother said her book club was reading it. The title question is something I ask in various ways all the time. The book actually seems aimed at young people and is full of illustrations by graphic novel artist, Dave McKean. The first chapter is called, "What is reality? What is magic?" and after explaining what reality is, he says:
- I want now to turn to the other key word of my title: magic. Magic is a slippery word: it is commonly used in three different ways, and the first thing I must do is distinguish between them. I'll call the first one 'supernatural magic.' the second one 'stage magic' and the third one (which is my favourite meaning, and the one I intend in my title) 'poetic magic.'
I think the new atheist thing is probably good for kids coming out of very religious environments and rejecting them. It's easy to make fun of /r/atheism whining about that one time their parents made them go to church, but it really can be alienating to reject religion when it's very important to your family. Having people that loud an unapologetic who agree with you couldn't hurt.
I still haven't forgiven Dawkins for memes though.
I spent a year living with a roommate who was the church golden boy in middle school in order to save his soul because his parents told him he was goof to hell for masturbation, impure thoughts, and living anything but the pure Christian life. In simple terms it fucked him up. It lays a groundwork of basically never being able to receive legitimate acceptance from your family which is tough enough on it's own made worse when they believe you're going to recieve enteral damnation for it. I get what creates the "loud atheist". I still find it annoying, I do agree with you though. I think it could be considered comparable to the struggle of coming out as something other than cos gendered heterosexual. (In the familial sense, not too any people give a fuck apt your religion outside of that)
Also yeah I've totally skipped over many chances to hear Dawkins speak on anything (documentaries and books) due to the internet persona that was created for him.
I hadn't heard of the God Delusion, or if I had, I have forgot it, but I've heard him referenced as the author of A Selfish Gene many times, fwiw.
Sweet! Thank you for letting me know, I must have sent out 25+ envelopes that day and haven't heard anything from anyone till you. I appreciate it.
I got mine yesterday, many thanks, my friend. Will try to find some good homes for them.
Awesome! I always wonder about the ones that head in your direction since your attempt to send me honey.
I just got mine! And I think I will go for a walk.
- If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help.
JFK