My Friday LBC post, Stimulus And Response was written by me on Thursday and scheduled to go live on Friday. I left for a two day camping trip with two of my friends on Friday morning and on return find that the post had indeed acted as a stimulus for some very inspired responses from my readers, which in turn became stimuli for other responses and frankly I am overwhelmed.
Here is my response in the form of a post, rather than individual responses to comments and I seek my readers’ indulgence for it.
I understand that there is real aversion to the quip on rape. Fair enough. In the rough and tumble crowd that I orbit in, this quip is unlikely to raise any flak, as it will be perceived to be what it is – an analogy – a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects. Obviously, it offends others, more sensitive to the word/process etc. I also realize that it is not politically correct among some of my readers, to make such jokes .
I accept that it is perceived to be in poor taste and offer my apologies to those whose sensibilities have been offended.
Please read the offending passage as follows. “I cracked a joke to the effect that, since nothing else can be done about it, I might as well learn to cheerfully live with it and get on with life. He laughed so heartily that his receptionist popped in to see if everything was alright!” I have edited the original version too.
I believe that the quotations from Viktor Frankl and Leo Rosten given in the earlier post are apt here too.
My using quotations too has offended a reader and I clarify; I use quotations to refrain from reinventing the wheel. When others have expressed ideas that appeal to me in prose that eludes me, I find comfort in using those as quotations. Viktor Frankl particularly, changed my life for the better, at a critical point of it, and I use him as a source for inspiration regularly.
I hope that, this post will be treated as a response and not as a stimulus for further responses. Thank you.
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