Noted, although you did write the words, and it should be clear to see. Either sophisticated and cultured gentlemen and ladies will sip beverages from a plastic container or they won't. If they do, it contradicts what you wrote, and requires some clarification at least. As you are unable to clarify, there is no need to continue, and your bail out is noted. Thank you.
I don't think I am better than anybody. I don't think I am worse than anybody. I don't think that way. Sure I see the differences, but those differences are just part of the fabric of life. That's where you fall down and have this superior/inferiority complex...because you are into an evaluation of your own worth in comparison to others. A maggot is not better than an eagle, and the eagle is not better than the maggot. Both are parts of the diversity of nature and play their part, and the proper procedure that classifies the different species is not a moral process. The proper procedure is clinical, scientific, and free of moral judgment or value judgment. Some people are the product of better breeding than others, but that doesn't mean they are a better human being. Often those of better breeding are rude and intolerant of others. Good breeding doesn't necessarily make for a better human being, it makes for a more refined and cultured human being, but not necessarily a more evolved or enlightened human being. "We hold these truths self evident, that all men are created equal." All souls are fallen, therefore they are all the same. We all have flaws, and if we all devoted our time to improving ourselves and our own culture in America, not wasting time in fault finding of others and other cultures, we would be a better nation full of better people. I don't view someone that had better parenting, better breeding, better training as a child as a better human being than someone who had less. We don't take Einstein level intelligence and classify that level as a different species from a down syndrome baby or a severely retarded human being. Yes, Einstein was able to contribute more perhaps to the society, but I personally don't determine value of a human being by what they do...but their value is determined intrinsically by God who views all human beings as His children, He loves them all equally no matter what they do or don't do. "I find it interesting that after 2 years of avoiding me (as a result of getting your head handed to you on a silver platter while trying to debate me) you've suddenly started responding to my posts. I have a fairly good idea about why this is happening." You are consistently wrong in your ideas about me, and I have a fairly good idea that you are wrong again this time...
Either sophisticated and cultured gentlemen and ladies will sip beverages from a plastic container or they won't. They won't as a rule, but there always exceptions to the rule, as I indicated previously...in the case of an emergency. We all have things we think we would never do, swear we would never do, but very unique situations can arise in which a choice has to be made between two choices...both of which are objectionable on the level of general rules. I can be more specific, and give specific hypothetical examples if necessary... General rules have exceptions from time to time, because the world is not a black and white proposition...it is full of color. If this doesn't clear up your confusion, sorry about that. Best I can do to explain a concept, and that may not fit into the framework of those who are bound to pure black and white mental constructs.
I will let your back-handed comment about black and white mental constructs fall to the side, because I know you are an angry person in general, but I must say that you have only muddled things up more. You said the following about an emergency situation: So here you have made it clear that, even in an emergency situation, they would demand that the Coke be poured into a glass, BUT, in your most recent post, you are now saying in an emergency situation they would drink from a plastic cup with no mention of a demand to have it poured into a glass (not a plastic container).
Oh yes, they would demand it in a glass... ...and if they didn't get it in a glass then would then do what? Hold their breath until they turned blue? Die of thirst? LOL! In an emergency situation where they had no options but to to drink the liquid in plastic or go without...they would adapt. That is human nature. Humans by nature adapt when forced to. If they were thirsty enough they would drink the water grudgingly. Would they then, after having to drink from the plastic cup do so again if they didn't have to? Nope, never... Until a situation presented itself where they had to let go of the never... We all have "nevers" that we hold strongly to, but emergency situations can bring about a temporary change of the bottom line. Not a permanent change, but a situational reactive condition. In this current economy, if it gets really bad, there will be some very principled people who would never ever think to steal or rob someone...and these desperate people will then steal and rob to feed their starving children.
Well, it took you forever to get here, but you did it. The "there are some things a refined gentleman or lady just will not do" statement threw me off as it made it sound as though, even in an emergency situation, a refined gentleman or lady would not drink from a plastic cup. Thank you for clarifying things. It's nice to know that refined, cultured, perceived to be high-status men and women will drink from plastic containers if their lives depend on it. I'm glad you stuck it out, didn't bail, and made the necessary corrective and clarifying statements. This is progress, and you should be proud of yourself.
An ET fairy tale... You were unclear, you made wrong assumptions accordingly, you got clear... End of story.
Let me just say to hapaboy - excellent job in this thread. It's sometimes tedious to wade through the sheer volume of words, distill the essential contradictions and remain focussed on them. In this case, the essential contradiction for me is the one that exists between the statement that 'people with good breeding make better decisions' and 'I don't rank people'. There is also the absurd contention that when we talk about 'bottled water', everyone understands that we are talking about water bottled in glass. That one doesn't need much further comment, except to to say that's an excellent example of what I consider to be the pathological intellectual dishonesty exhibited by this member. ZZZzzzzzzz revealed a little too much about himself here, that's for sure. People as arrogant as he is are usually elitists, but we haven't had such a clear statement of his beliefs, as far as I can recall.
As much as you want me to deny you your laurels, I won't take the bait. You're making progress despite your denials to the contrary. That progress is measured in baby steps, and you've taken your first ones. Good for you.