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Geoffrey wrote: ↑Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:18 pm you can see just by looking at me that i have been blessed with nice features, a calm aura exuding an undeniable warmth, plus a tiny hint of playful mischievousness, perhaps. little wonder people flock to me and adore being in my presence. i think only a very hard and frigid person could not recognise the warm and welcoming qualities in such a face. if only there were more people like me around, but unfortunately not every oyster produces a pearl.

Geoffrey, you forgot to mention your undeniable modesty.

Alan

AlanM wrote:Geoffrey, you forgot to mention your undeniable modesty.

well, i don't think i did, alan. i appreciate sarcasm, but one should never confuse boasting with truthfulness. modesty has two unattractive main ingredients: cowardice and dishonesty - neither of which can be found in great quantities in my personality, that is an indisputable fact. some psychologists suggest that on average even an honorable person lies six or seven times each day, while others put the figure lower, maybe two or three times. as for myself, except in cases where a person is desperately in need of comfort, i easily manage to totally refrain from lying, because doing so risks damaging my self respect. i actually feel physical pain when forced to lie, even a little white lie, so limit doing so to situations where it might help someone recover from whatever is hurting them. my philosophy is for myself to suffer rather than them, which is similar to why jesus allowed himself to be nailed on the cross.

people are afraid to say what they think for fear of making a bad impression, especially if one believes one is gifted. society decrees that it is wrong to express gratefulness for one's own talent. as i have mentioned several times earlier, my ego was removed some years ago - via auratransformation. others may accuse me of being boastful, of narcissism, and if that is the price of sincerity then so be it. trying to educate the masses is not my job, would be like casting pearls before swine. the general population is not the intelligencia. it is not a crime to recognise the good and positive qualities in oneself. a crime is more likely committed by anyone who tries to hide the wonderful blessings to which they have been endowed - because that is like slapping the face of god.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... confidence.

Hi Geoffrey,
My comment was intended to be whimsical rather than sarcastic.
There is an expression in this country along the lines of: "If he weren't so modest, he would be perfect".
I was feeding off that, in an attempt at humour.
I also appreciate sarcasm, but it was not intended in this instance.
I acknowledge your talents and I am delighted that you do too.

Best wishes,

Alan

hello. good of you to write. writing is a two-dimensional media, no air in the words, no intonation to guide one through the precarious art of interpreting what is being conveyed. the difference between reading and listening is like looking at a meal and tasting it. after braile was invented blind people became aware of the same communication complexities as the rest of us, still scratching our heads with the movable comma in luke 23:43, for example. in modern USA politics phrases such as 'fake news' or 'alternative facts', etc. became a popular way of describing various perceptions relating to something that had happened or was said - and arguing about the truth has always been a good way to start an insoluble conflict. i don't know anything about any of that, kellyanne conway and george will just have to agree to disagree . . . or get divorced.
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thank you for always saying nice things about my work, alan - and also for just being around. you seem to be posting more often than you used to, and i hope this will continue. i enjoy seeing the pictures you have on your walls, as well as reading everything you write. if you wish to see anything in my apartment it is just to ask. meanwhile, here is a sketch that appeared while waiting for my breakfast appetite to arrive this morning. sometimes i don't feel like eating until the day is well underway

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 12:26 pm people are afraid to say what they think for fear of making a bad impression, especially if one believes one is gifted. society decrees that it is wrong to express gratefulness for one's own talent. as i have mentioned several times earlier, my ego was removed some years ago - via auratransformation. others may accuse me of being boastful, of narcissism, and if that is the price of sincerity then so be it. trying to educate the masses is not my job, would be like casting pearls before swine. the general population is not the intelligencia. it is not a crime to recognise the good and positive qualities in oneself. a crime is more likely committed by anyone who tries to hide the wonderful blessings to which they have been endowed - because that is like slapping the face of god.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... confidence.

The phrase "afraid to say what they think" may oversimplify. Wouldn't it be more precise and accurate to substitute two phrases, "afraid to voice an opinion," and "afraid to voice what one knows (or at least believes) to be a fact."?

Being afraid to voice an opinion is not even a white lie, it is just a conscious decision to refrain from presenting one's point of view because either (a) doing so serves no good purpose (your haircut looks silly); or (b) prior experience tells you that the listener will disagree, and further, that he has no desire to engage in intelligent debate.

On the other hand, being afraid to voice what one knows or believes to be a fact is, I think, cowardly assuming one has taken the time and made the effort to validate that belief. The societal trend to discourage voicing what one believes to be facts is not a good one.

BTW, I prefer your earlier phrase, "like putting caviar in the mouths of dogs" to the more common, "like casting pearls before swine." But that's just me.

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hei its4inthemorning - thanks for making contact.

you have truly thought about what i wrote, and that is more important than whether or not we are in agreement. as long as people are willing to communicate and exchange dialogue, then common ground does not need to be the essential component in a harmonious relationship.

having said that, i should admit that i understand quite well when a person feels unable to "engage in intelligent debate" - as you put it. when someone's opinion "serves no good purpose", that does indeed present an opportunity to 'give up', to exit the discussion with head held high. however, by doing so one risks initiating an avoidable 'silent war'. this creates the paradox of achieving superiority through failure.

personally, probably due to a background in psychology, i try to be tolerant of people's behaviour. were we all equally mentally balanced it would be easier to halt a discussion due to an inability to agree, but that is not the case. a person may be suffering from a neurosis or anxiety disorder, for example, and that will affect the way they conduct themselves during social interaction.

once again, thank you for commenting
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ps: it is currently free to travel by bus in ålesund, which is why we look like sardines (photo taken today) we can only imagine what people are thinking canadian celebrity

"don't forget your memory. let it exist somewhere precious, in all the colours that it needs." -cohen

Hi Geoffrey,
I am amazed that you can incorporate all these colours that are not part of the human spectrum and yet make the picture look so real. I love it.

Alan

AlanM wrote: ↑Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:46 am Hi Geoffrey,
I am amazed that you can incorporate all these colours that are not part of the human spectrum and yet make the picture look so real. I love it.

Alan

hei alan. not difficult to do using a rainbow pencil. personally i prefer an ordinary '2B' graphite (see below) but am happy with anything. wishing you a nice day!
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syrian friend who lives in a nearby village. envious man looking at this section of the forum i've been listening to all the dissention

lady i saw today in town "i'm ugly." - amy winehouse straightforward traditional portrait of local resident, very kind elderly lady

monday afternoon. the sun pours down like honey . . . in between the showers back home after some days living in a caravan down in byrkjelo. doodle while attending a lecture about dogmatism.

close friend. combination of software and initiative i left a woman waiting when they said 'repent!', i wonder what they meant!

i thank you, i thank you, for doing your duty woman in town with apprehensive body language. she was nobody's wife https://youtu.be/a1yG5ccEkoQ

"i'm not the kind of person that's going to cut off an ear if i can't do something" - dylan https://youtu.be/5eraECZmMiM
another digital portrait. this time a guy who sat staring at me while i was eating pizza at a cafe. https://youtu.be/JHRZAxEGOwA
"the guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself" - beethoven

shop assistant today's edition of the 'everyday people' series:
receptionist on her lunch break arachnophobia