StopSylvia email: "so filled with hate"

[RSLancastr]

I doubt any further contact would change her mind. She has made up her mind that you "hate".

Hard to say, Bob. I choose to think that it is never too late to reach someone with logic and reason. But when someone asks (or, as in this case, tells) me to not write back, to violate that request/instruction, no matter how well-reasoned and polite the tone of the response, it is not likely to be received well. I should just let this one go.

 

[ExMinister]

Seems one answer to that question is "emulate the conduct of Robert S. Lancaster". I'm really impressed by how you always manage to come across as collected and calm in your texts. Wished we had you as a teacher back when I was training to become a journalist.

But that's really the only approach that works, right? Psychics, and those that believe in their claims, seem to put a lot of emotions into their various forms of communication. And it's usually fairly bipolar - either heaven-on-earth good news, grace to everyone and fluffy kittens full of hugs - or the end is upon us, everyone is an enemy and murderdeathkill. Either way the best you can hope for is understanding their opinion. Sort of hard to create a text that moves a discussion forward if you're simply stating what you're feeling over and over again.

So polite but serious, honest but undramatic, works well as a counter to that?

Yes. With lots of really good, solid evidence, research and facts. There will always be people who have emotional reasons for not wanting to hear it, but evidence presented with logic and reason, politely and honestly, can have a major mpact.

 

[ExMinister]

It's a well-known principle that opposites attract, so the more negative one can be, the more positive things will happen. Q.E.D.

Now this is a philosophy I could live with.

 

[RSLancastr]

I just thought of something, RSL:
What are the odds some of the dumb e-mails you get come from bored high schoolers who gets a kick out of being an obnxious e-mail troll.

First, I don't think of these emails (nor their authors) as "dumb".

If anything, I think of the emails as opportunities to do some more pinpointed/personalized educating. And the authors as being the very people I am trying to reach with the site.

Is it possible that some of the emails I receive be written by people simply trying to yank my chain? Of course it's possible, but I don't particularly see my site as an attractive target for such activity. And I am egotistical enough to think that I would be able to spot such an email, and none of them have set off alarm bells for me.

 

[Kopji]

I think of your site every time my kid wakes up in the middle of the night, lights up some sage and waves it through the house to ward off evil spirits she imagines are there.

Never enough candles to light the darkness.

take care

 

[Joey McGee]

First, I don't think of these emails (nor their authors) as "dumb".

If anything, I think of the emails as opportunities to do some more pinpointed/personalized educating. And the authors as being the very people I am trying to reach with the site.

Is it possible that some of the emails I receive be written by people simply trying to yank my chain? Of course it's possible, but I don't particularly see my site as an attractive target for such activity. And I am egotistical enough to think that I would be able to spot such an email, and none of them have set off alarm bells for me.

I'm soooooo tempted to troll your email account at this point.

You're a good man Robert, imagine their surprise when they find that the mean ole skeptic is really the one who actually cares about them.

 

[Rasmus]

First, I don't think of these emails (nor their authors) as "dumb".

If anything, I think of the emails as opportunities to do some more pinpointed/personalized educating. And the authors as being the very people I am trying to reach with the site.

Is it possible that some of the emails I receive be written by people simply trying to yank my chain? Of course it's possible, but I don't particularly see my site as an attractive target for such activity. And I am egotistical enough to think that I would be able to spot such an email, and none of them have set off alarm bells for me.

Does it matter? You are using the e-mail to educate more people here on JREF. Maybe you should just consider taking it to the site as well.

(I've seen you mention somewhere that you have issues accessing the site, but I've not been here for a while and if you ever explained why that is, I must have missed that and a search didn't help me much, either. Is there anything that can be done to help you?)

 

[Crocoshark]

Another email from the same correspondent.



Evidently I am not old enough yet.

I will try to resist the urge to reply.

I saw you on a news clip on youtube.

For some reason I imagined you a lot younger, like mid-30s. Not sure why.

Anyways

"Negativity breeds negativity"

That person should stop being so NEGATIVE about the POSITIVE potential of NEGATIVITY!

It only breeds MORE negativity

Which . . . has so much positive potential!

Never mind, carry on negative e-mailer person. Negativity for everyone!

Humans suck!

 

[RSLancastr]

I saw you on a news clip on youtube.

For some reason I imagined you a lot younger, like mid-30s. Not sure why.

I'm 53 years old now. 48 at the time of that clip (assuming it was the anderson cooper one)

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Another thing about "negativity breeds more negativity"-

If you want to talk about "negative", some of the outrageous and quite "negative" things Browne has said and done (telling two parents their child was dead, telling a woman her granddaughter was a child prostitute in Japan, telling a woman her daughter was a stripper) ought to have caused her a ton of "negativity" by now.

Like, hmm, perhaps a conviction for fraud, divorces every four or five years and a heart attack?

Just saying.

 

[RSLancastr]

Another thing about "negativity breeds more negativity"-

If you want to talk about "negative", some of the outrageous and quite "negative" things Browne has said and done (telling two parents their child was dead, telling a woman her granddaughter was a child prostitute in Japan, telling a woman her daughter was a stripper) ought to have caused her a ton of "negativity" by now.

Like, hmm, perhaps a conviction for fraud, divorces every four or five years and a heart attack?

Just saying.

But then, she "charted" all of that. Musta had some hella life lessons she needed to learn this time around!