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I've said it before, I'll say it again, I'm such a geek. Mind you, when I was a kid that wasn't really a positive thing. Being six foot tall in the ninth grade saved me the usual abuse, but geeks of old did not enjoy the respect of their peers. In some ways, that was better.
Finding a home in a group that is ostracised by mainstream society is a comfort. The "us" are faultless, the "them" are cruel, ignorant, bastards. Self righteousness can be it's own reward. But such groups are just as deluded as the masses they would mock. In the end, we choose the reality that makes us most comfortable. Of course, most people learn to be comfortable with crap.
Damn, where did that come from? I was about to wax poetic about my current Linux distro and now I have a dedication to the disfranchised. Oh well, I'll save the penguin for another post...
Elitism has come up a few times lately. I found myself reading some sites on Existentialism and later had a friend lamenting another friend's elitist attitude. Then there's Microsoft's l337 page; that still amuses me.
Elitism is a tricky business. There are stars in all walks of life who have proven themselves to be exceptional in their disciplines. The are some folks who are better qualified than others, Plato's Philosopher Kings come to mind.
However, intellectual elitism is a trap. The "we're better because we get it and you don't" is a double edged sword. When we begin to mentally sort people into worthy and unworthy, we diminish ourselves.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, I have ever met has taught me something about myself. All other people reflect myself back at me. Some of those qualities I admire and some I'd rather ignore.
When I see someone doing something cruel and unthinking, I resent them. But, really, I usually don't care so much about them. What I really resent is my own capacity to do the very same thing they just did. The recognition of that makes me feel lessened, and I blame them.
I believe that every human in the world has the intrinsic ability to completely understand every other. However, in order to do that we must forget ourselves and be that other person. Such an ego slaying activity is not for the timid.
Still, we needn't forget ourselves to find us in other people. It's always there. One path, that of acceptance, will teach us and hopefully help us grow. One path, dismissive intellectual elitism, will blind us.
I don't know if this makes any sense. There are a whole lot of ideas mixed up in there. I suppose the one message I'm looking for is this: feeling superior to others will, ironically, make us inferior to others.
Finding a home in a group that is ostracised by mainstream society is a comfort. The "us" are faultless, the "them" are cruel, ignorant, bastards. Self righteousness can be it's own reward. But such groups are just as deluded as the masses they would mock. In the end, we choose the reality that makes us most comfortable. Of course, most people learn to be comfortable with crap.
Damn, where did that come from? I was about to wax poetic about my current Linux distro and now I have a dedication to the disfranchised. Oh well, I'll save the penguin for another post...
Elitism has come up a few times lately. I found myself reading some sites on Existentialism and later had a friend lamenting another friend's elitist attitude. Then there's Microsoft's l337 page; that still amuses me.
Elitism is a tricky business. There are stars in all walks of life who have proven themselves to be exceptional in their disciplines. The are some folks who are better qualified than others, Plato's Philosopher Kings come to mind.
However, intellectual elitism is a trap. The "we're better because we get it and you don't" is a double edged sword. When we begin to mentally sort people into worthy and unworthy, we diminish ourselves.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, I have ever met has taught me something about myself. All other people reflect myself back at me. Some of those qualities I admire and some I'd rather ignore.
When I see someone doing something cruel and unthinking, I resent them. But, really, I usually don't care so much about them. What I really resent is my own capacity to do the very same thing they just did. The recognition of that makes me feel lessened, and I blame them.
I believe that every human in the world has the intrinsic ability to completely understand every other. However, in order to do that we must forget ourselves and be that other person. Such an ego slaying activity is not for the timid.
Still, we needn't forget ourselves to find us in other people. It's always there. One path, that of acceptance, will teach us and hopefully help us grow. One path, dismissive intellectual elitism, will blind us.
I don't know if this makes any sense. There are a whole lot of ideas mixed up in there. I suppose the one message I'm looking for is this: feeling superior to others will, ironically, make us inferior to others.