British Red said:
Martyn,
Sorry , I have no intention of rising. I appear to have offended you in supporting someones right to hold a different world view. Actually, I think lots of us study all sorts of things from a variety of reasons - Mr Mears himself was fascinated with survival skills and if people here find that interesting and it doesn't hurt anyone else, good luck to them I say. The same applies as those who want to visit different ethnic backgrounds, study the flora and fauna, take pictures, indulge in live role play, collect knives, practice vegetarian lifestyles or complimentary medicine or brew beer and make soap. I don't personally want to do all of those things, however I defend the rights of others to pursue what interests them provided what they do is legal and harms no-one else. I agree with Jamie - lets not pour scorn on other peoples hobbies, interests or beliefs - lots of people are into Bushcraft for lots of reasons and I see no reason why we all can't get along and enjoy the diversity
Red
Well said, and there is no need to apologise, you havent offended me at all.
You make a laudible point about live and let live, but there is another way of looking at it. Our peers and their comments ground us. We socialise each other with what we say to each other and we each act as social reflectors. If we are too off the wall, our peers will let us know, maybe with humour, sarcasm or just plain old argument. It adds the checks and balances of life and stops us being too mad. It's a natural and normal process. If we go too far, then others in turn will check us ..and others will check them and so on. Whether by humour, reason or whatever tool they choose to employ. The process is eveident in almost every thread on this forum. We moderate each others sanity (and behaviour) continually, in every aspect of our lives. There are laws which govern our land, rules which govern our work, but most prolific of all, social rules which moderate our behaviour. You can dance around naked in the woods and no one will care a hoot, do it in sainsburys or the playground of a junior school and you will cause a problem. We socialise our children according to the rules we learn ourselves and our laws are based on our social rules. We do judge each other, it's not just normal, it's essential. Every single one of us does it every single day.
It is laudible to suggest we should rise above it, but a little unrealistic and slightly hypocritical. I've never yet met anyone so
genuinely magnanimous of spirit. Paricipants of this thread, while objecting to being judged, are themselves judging others. It's evident in comments like...
stick their head in the sand
perhaps have little of true meaning in their own lives
anti-camo freaks
ignorant non-bushcrafters will make darn good eating
you cant explaun something this complex to the electric light populus
etc.
All valid comments, all part of the above mentioned checks and balances, but not entirely magnanamous. We judge others, just as we are being judged. What I do find a little cheap, is the attempt at a moral "gag" of my own opinions, by suggesting I am only making them because I have no real meaning in my life. I do find those obsessed with the end of the world (and even wishing it upon us), to be a little "off center". Whether they like it or not, I will continue to express that opinion, perhaps with humour or sarcasm. There are lots of things in life which stir me to comment, the BNP, Tony Blair, section 139, and a bad Cabernet Sauvignon to name a few. But I promise you, none of them reflect an absence of meaning in my life. I wouldnt be a Nurse if I was so self centered would I?
Lock and load buddy.