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We Happy Few
Hey all --
I have in the past referred to the users/posters here at CM.com as "we happy few" which is of course a reference to the St. Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's "Henry V". I use that phrase because that's the way I feel about this place, and recently I have tried to let it guide my behavior when posting/interacting w/the folks here.
This isn't just any forum. We aren't simply hashing out our opinions on "Terminator Salvation" or whether the designated hitter rule is a cancer on baseball. We're trying to understand the chaotic situation in the world, and trying to figure out the most efficacious ways in which to respond. To that end, supporting assertions with fact, or clearly labeling opinions as such are invaluable in terms of keeping the dialog productive. And tone matters, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not up on my high horse -- I've been guilty of overreaction and invective here. But a couple weeks ago the St. Crispin's Day speech popped into my head when I was writing a post here and the line
'We few, we happy few, we band of [sisters &] brothers'
seemed to me a fine way to think of the CM community. It helps me to remember that even if I disagree with some of the people here, the real battle lies elsewhere -- either with conditions in the world (economic/social dislocation) or within myself (the various stages of denial/anger/fear/bargaining/etc.).
Just my $0.02 (when hyperinflation hits will they take pennies out of circulation?). Your mileage may vary, ya'lls.
Viva -- Sager
"Show some !@#$%^ ADAPTABILITY!!" -- Sergeant Jack Shaftoe, USMC ("Cryptonomicon")
"It's all goin' *down*, man! Martha Stewart's polishing the brass on the Titanic!" -- Tyler Durden
"Have the courage to use your own understanding!' -- Immanuel Kant
"Dreams are the seedbed of the possible." -- William Greider
"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice." -- Mary Oliver
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I have a friend that for years used to watch this very scene each day as he got ready for work/ate breakfast. He said nothing else moved him to excel the way this did.
VIVA! Sager
"Show some !@#$%^ ADAPTABILITY!!" -- Sergeant Jack Shaftoe, USMC ("Cryptonomicon")
"It's all goin' *down*, man! Martha Stewart's polishing the brass on the Titanic!" -- Tyler Durden
"Have the courage to use your own understanding!' -- Immanuel Kant
"Dreams are the seedbed of the possible." -- William Greider
"One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice." -- Mary Oliver
Sager_XX,
I too love that speech and actually have thought of it in reference to my work in the past. And I think it applies to all of us collectively here at the site.
Thank you for the reminder. I strongly support the call to keep things fact based as much as possible or be clear about when they are not, and to maintain a civil tone at all times.
If you haven't seen it, this is worth your time: