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: : : Tal and greetings... : : First I am writing this commentary to illustrate my beliefs and my reasoning and : : they are not indicative that others that are associated with me necessarily belief : : or ascribe to. That being said I will move on. : : It is my opinion and belief that on-line Gorean interaction is an opportunity to : : make actual friends, engage in actual human relationships and gain an : : opportunity to truly learn something about who we are through the study of : : Gorean philosophy. Anything that has no real practical application to that : : interaction is dressing, a way of supplying "Gorean" atmosphere for the : : entertainment of all. An example would be when I say I am a pirate from Port : : Kar I know (hopefully) that everyone knows I don't really dwell in seamy port : : city on the planet of Gor. I behave as I would if I were in that tavern in Port : : Kar sitting around with a bunch of other Goreans pretending. So we all dress : : up our interaction on-line but we all know that it is not just these trappings that : : make us Gorean or that they are necessary. These are simply rather fun : : things we do to behave in an entertaining and outwardly more "Gorean" : : manner. It is my hope that those who see what is real and what is not real. : : Those who do not understand this instead give credence to a lot of strutting : : around and swinging of swords which do not cut, and performing : : assassinations which do not work. After all if I "chop" off your head and you : : do not die and go away what can you do about it? No one is dead. So I guess : : the question is how to deal with someone who refuses to examine the Gorean : : philosophy seriously and instead runs about claiming to be a on-line warrior. I : : suppose part of the answer is that one can look and see and understand and try : : to explain. However there is a point where you have to realize that you cannot : : communicate to those that will not listen. You may lay the words out there but : : you cannot force them to be picked up, understood or even heard. I suppose : : that you keep on trying to explain how important it is to actually use the tool of : : human interaction and communication that is at the core of the Gorean : : philosophy and hope that to those who decide to make there way over to : : glance at what one is doing that they find it enlightening and important. At the : : same time there are those that are so closed off, so introverted and : : self-centered to understand there is something real and tangible just within : : our grasp that everyone can benefit from. Instead they insist in playing with the : : wrappings the philosophy came in and I suppose the most we can hope for is : : that after tearing up the wrapping they might wander over too and see what : : they have discarded. My personal opinion is that the warrior spirit will never : : vanish from our on-line interaction nor should they for they are a intricate part : : of the Gorean experience but I have to admit I find the concept of on-line : : dueling a travesty and insulting to my intelligence. When one has no actual : : control over a given situation/enviroment it is pretend isn't it..it's fake right? That : : is where the real/unreal line exists, online. The role-playing isn't really the : : problem. It is when those who engage in it insists that cyber swords and cyber : : whippings and cyber chains and whatever are actually real when the reality is : : that no one can harm, control or restrict another unless they have the means to : : compel. Here is an example..One fresh in my mind..*g* Someone logs into a : : Gorean tavern and gets banned for acting like an ass. They log back in and get : : banned again then they log in again under a new name and not wanting to be : : kicked out again try to convince everyone that their actions ect. were correct : : and whine about how unfairly they were treated all the while feeling clever that : : they have avoided getting banned yet again. I suspect these types of individuals : : return and instead of another round of insulting behavior they sit about and play : : mind games with veiled innuendo and cloaked insults all the while stroking their : : own inflated egos. They might believe they have achieved something, but : : actually they have not. They have only illustrated their smallness of mind and : : meanness of sprit. It is and has been my belief for some time that certain forms : : of Gorean interaction must be abandoned or modified for the simple reason : : that the actions cannot be done. They are not applicable to the medium. There : : are a great deal of "games" sites on-line with greater ability to cater to the : : sword fighters and Tarn riders ect. It is often with this type of activity rather : : difficult for those who arrive online seeking to be "Gorean" to understand what : : is actually going on when their senses are assaulted with heads flying about and : : blood pumping from gory wounds ect. At first, they simply assume that it is all : : some kind of fantasy based role-playing experience, and expend their efforts in : : reinventing themselves as suitable Gorean "characters" so they can experience : : the fantasy. How many are lost to this morass of ignorance?? *shrugs* It is not : : mine to say. Most everyone that has ever logged on to a Gorean chat has : : experienced something similar to what I describe and it takes time for some to : : realize that "roleplaying" the Gorean lifestyle on-line is pretty unrewarding. It : : would be hoped I suppose that those realizations coming to roost would help : : them redefine their reasons for even doing this at all for if one sticks around : : long enough one becomes aware that on-line gaming actions like sword fighting : : are fruitless. : : I suppose this all begs the question of what to do about it. How do you end this : : "game"? It is my contention and belief that it ends when the would-be Gorean : : accepts that Gor is real. Confused now?? *s* Hang on and bear with me. You : : see that despite that there is no "real" planet Gor opposite the sun. It ends when : : their is the realization that there is a philosophy that is very real and very : : applicable to "real" life inside the pages of those 25 "books" and that it is based : : on a line of reasoning that has its roots back well over 2000 years and that it : : has validity and that in the final analysis one can gain insight about their inner : : character traits and use the philosophy to help refine and clarify their own : : identity. When this happens the realization sinks in that all this role-playing is : : something which we do for fun and is simply play. For me this journey is still in : : it's infancy..and the road ahead is filled with promise. For those who do not : : particularly care about the philosophy and want to use the knowledge : : contained within the books to pretend to be something they are not then their : : games will continue but I in good conscience cannot participate in their actions : : for to do so would demean what I stand for and what I believe. There are : : many that are so weak and ineffectual and afraid to believe such a philosophy is : : possible that they invent games and want everyone to play by their rules..and : : think that if they type the "right" things in the "right" order that everyone will just : : roll over and die for them so for those that hold those views I have these words : : for you. Attack be as you will on-line but attack me off-line I will feed you : : your own head for that is my nature to fight back. But I will not waste my time : : and energy in propagating the stupidity of on-line virtual swordplay. Online : : games are silly. Fun, but silly but it should be realized that there are those : : "Goreans" who invest their time and energy into not only assimilating the : : Gorean philosophy into their own live but try to bring some understanding to : : those that seek to examine it. I can hear the rumblings already so let me say : : this. To those that will say "why participate on-line at all if that is how you feel"? : : I say that is because of my dignity, pride and my insistence that there is more to : : all this then cyber sword-play, cybersex and cyberpaga that I participate for to : : walk away I avoid my responsibility and that makes me as bad as them. : : Of late it has become more difficult to stay and participate and hopefully make : : some kind of difference as I have become disgusted in the various forms, : : under the guise of "Gorean interaction," that have driven some really good : : people away from an examination of the Gorean way. But Goreans are : : tenacious and perhaps even stubborn..*g* So I hang on even while watching : : the many continual online "feuds" which develop among assorted online parties, : : groups ect. and keep in mind that I am really just an man on earth who happens : : to have a fondness for the philosophy described in a series of fantasy novels : : that I believe can help anyone define their own principles..they are not Gorean : : principles so much as they are human principles and I speak about these : : principles because they make sense to me and seem both relevent and good to : : me. I follow down the paths of my own thoughts and desires and being only an : : earth man I stumble, fall, fail, but rise and continue despite all of that. The : : search to define oneself I suspect lasts a lifetime. The road is long but I believe : : I have taken the first step forward..I wish you well...Ruilan.. : : "The human being is a chaos of cruelties and nobilities, of hatreds and of loves, : : of resentments and respects, of envies and admirations. He contains within : : himself, in his ferments, much that is base and much that is worthy. These are : : old truths, but few men truly understand them." : : : : "Such thoughts are surely to be reserved for the second or third knowledge,' : : said another man. : : `I am a man,' said another. `I repudiate the distinctions between knowledges. : : Knowledge is one. It is only knowers who are many.' : : `I shall inquire into truth as I please,' said another. `I am a free man." : : --pg.387, Kajira of Gor : Damm Ruilan...that missive was almost as long as "Raiders of Gor"..LOL...but I do understand what you are saying....but we all have to deal with Assholes in all walks of life..I have always found it best to ignore them....or play with them whatever the mood of the day is.....LOL...one good thin is though..I know I wont have to ever challenge you in the pits..as you won't show up..LOL ..let us play our games..enjoy what is...and click off when it annoys us.....Be well my Friend...winds...

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