Re: Where now for the DUP?

mothed out <mothed-out@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:b452916e-c080-4ed5-9e91-6b7050c4e9bc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

On 18 Jul, 09:00, Ilas <nob...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I dunno. When I read Nik's posts, for some inexplicable reason I
can't ge
t
this out of my head:

http://www.satan.org.uk/irc/mrlogic.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Logic

That is very recognisable in this instance. That?s what I?ve meant in
the past when I?ve made the suggestion that some level of autism could
be involved in his case. In fact I?m no kind of expert on autism, and
I don?t pretend to be, but I just suggested it because (as I
understand it) autistic people are often unable to perceive or
understand the actual emotional disposition and intentions of other
people. They are left grasping at all kinds of clues which they
generally interpret very literally, in an attempt to keep up with and
make sense of the world around them.

Also, along a similar line, I would say that there is loads of other
evidence of a similar mental syndrome with this poster, namely, an
inability to understand the actual emotional, cultural and more subtle
reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify
with the ?tag? or ?label? surrounding something.
As part of this, there seems to be a running theme whereby he
takes just a single attribute of a thing or event, and tries to see
that as actually representing the real ?whole?. For example, I
remember one case in which someone had said that he didn?t know the
reality of having lived in somewhere torn apart by bombing and
violence such as Northern Ireland. He countered this with the argument
that he too lived in a place that had been bombed, referring to the
case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag,
or category of ?place where a bomb went off? meant they could
effectively be paired up. I feel that all these cases are connected by
a failure to understand the emotional and cultural and more complex
and nuanced realities of given states and situations, but an attempt
to accommodate them just by taking hold of some kind of external ?tag?
or ?label?. A similar effect seems to apply with the claim to ?be a
Maori? based, in fact, on a very small genealogical link (IIRC ?three
marriages? had occurred at some unspecified points in his family
history, even the briefest of logical considerations of this claim
show that it is almost meaningless in terms of denoting an actual
Maori, lived cultural identity or day to day reality). Unfortunately,
he doesn?t see how strange and silly that looks to ordinary readers,
it?s almost as if he?s gone to a restaurant and eaten the menu, not
realising that there?s a difference between a tag and a label you can
apply to something, and the actual, real, complex reality of things in
the world.
He?s also very keen on identifying with certain labels, not just
racial, whether it?s ?republican? or ?celtic? or whatever, but not
very good at unpacking the labels and seeing what is inside in
specific instances. For example, it seemingly took him several *years*
to pick up on the basic reality of what Ray actually thought and what
he is like as a person. He just clung to the label or tag ?Republican?
as a form of identity, which he related to his own ?tag? or ?label?,
of ?a republican?.
But you can only feel disappointed for him as he realises that the
reality doesn?t and can?t always follow from the label or tag. You can
stick the label ?republican? or ?colonist? or ?maori? or ?Celtic? on
something, but the reality is much more shifting and complex, and I
feel he is always struggling with these things, or in denial, or
having some kind of problem of understanding with it, because he has
trouble perceiving what people mean or intend. The basis of all of
that could be some kind of block in picking up and understanding
intentions and actions on an emotional level. That could possibly link
up that very recognisable and recurring ?Mr Logic? effect you get with
him, and some of the wider aspects of his output.

Whew! And there was me just thinking he's a bit of a pillock.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Where now for the DUP?
    ... Which particular science project are you talking about? ... reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify ... case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag, ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • Re: Where now for the DUP?
    ... You remind me of Greg for some reason. ... reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify ... case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag, ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • Re: Where now for the DUP?
    ... the past when I’ve made the suggestion that some level of autism could ... reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify ... case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag, ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • Re: Where now for the DUP?
    ... reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify ... case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag, ... Nik can understand what it means to have ... Most people can empathise ...
    (soc.culture.irish)
  • Re: Where now for the DUP?
    ... reality of things, but just a sort of external attempt to identify ... case of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, as though the label, tag, ... but what it boils down to is the 'inability to empathise'. ... In other words, Nik can understand what it means to have these points of view up to a point, but in fact he is unable to put himself in the position of someone who really has them. ...
    (soc.culture.irish)