Libertarians, alcoholism and growing up
A offered a few thoughts for a libertarian e-groups list:
Please allow me to offer a rather unique view of the discussions I have witnessed here over the last few weeks. I will admit to not reading the posts carefully, but I think if I was more diligent in doing so, my opinions would only firm up.
As a long-time libertarian (well over 30 years), I have witnessed the sort of childlike argumentation exhibited on this forum on many other occasions. I probably was once guilty of it. However, I grew out of it.
I was a bit slow at learning a more adult style because I am a child of an alcoholic. While alcoholics stop all emotional growth the day they trigger their alcoholism (average age, 13), we non-alcoholic children of alcoholics probably grow emotionally at somewhere around half the rate of those from non-alcoholic families. Hence, my slowness in growing up.
My particular form of “child of alcoholism” was an impatience with other people and intolerance of their opinions, which is probably a common reaction to alcoholism in close people among INTJ personality types. Only when I began learning about alcoholism and its effects on close people, was I able to quickly “unlearn” that impatience and intolerance.
I have not analyzed the posts here to determine whether there is a high likelihood that one or more participants has the disease of alcoholism. However, one out of ten in the U.S. is alcoholic, with even greater odds of being a child of one. Therefore, the odds are good that a more rational discussion is not taking place because one or more participants has been seriously affected by alcoholism.
Now, I realize that some will consider this defamation of character. On the contrary. To suggest that some of the childlike attitudes exhibited on this forum could exist without alcoholism in a close person is, to me, defamation. Either the person is childish by himself, or the person is an alcoholic or a child of one, which would account for the childlike behaviors.
Others may object to the idea that I diagnose from afar. I have successfully done so on numerous occasions. I do so frequently from news reports and later find proof. One recent example of this is the case of “Survivor’s” Richard Hatch. By failing to report his $1 million in winnings on his tax return, I was given a huge “heads up” to the likelihood of alcoholism. I later proved it, the details of which are on my online addiction report. An example from way back online was someone in a discussion group acting, shall we say, in a style not dissimilar to those of some on this forum. I later confirmed he had three DUIs on his record.
I write not with the intent of creating an inflammatory response. Instead, I hope to give some the idea that perhaps they should look carefully at themselves and how their communication style has been affected by others. They may also wish to consider the possibility that they will make no progress in enlightening others with those outside libertarian groups. Michael Cloud has some great communicator tapes for sale via the Advocates for Self-Government (at www.self-gov.org and specifically http://www.theadvocates.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LS&Product_Code=MCC&Category_Code=AUD. We would all do well by learning more effective communication methods, and increase the odds of getting our message across to those outside these forums.