[FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

S

It was guh-RATE to see you on vFRIAM today.

N

Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
 


-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of Steve Smith
Sent: Friday, January 8, 2021 11:21 AM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] the power of metaphor.

Frank -
> I am anticipating how I would feel if I saw Trump when he is 
> desperately afraid as he suffers during his final illness and cries 
> that it is unfair that he has to die given how rich, talented ...
> whatever... he is.  Will I remember how much I detested him?  Or would 
> I feel sad for him.  The latter involves what I mean by "empathy".

I don't have any problem allowing my imaginarium to include recognizing the dark misery that Trump may experience down deep inside (if he ever looks that direction), and from the general record of who he was as a child into adulthood, I can see (some of) how he wandered/retreated/charged down the path that lead him to where he is today.   I doubt he will hang himself in the oval office (wouldn't that be a sight?) like Epstein did (maybe) in his own cell.   I doubt anyone in the administration has the physical/tactical/moral capability to pull off staging such a thing (nod to the possibility that Epstein was "helped").   That does not mean that I  "forgive" or in any way "bless"
any of his behaviour, possibly since he was about 8 years old, if then.   Such an act (with or without "help") feels significantly more likely than him resigning gracefully.

I am sympathetic with Marcus' (deliberate?) conflation between allowing for deep, genuine empathy, and allowing the experience to lead me to enable the worst behaviours of the subject of my empathy.   My empathy for Trump is much less well informed (yes, Nick, I said "informed") than my ire.  I may have "cut him some slack" (I think that is a bull/bronco riding metaphoricaldomain) early on out of empathy under the guise of expedience, but I think I'm well beyond that (some years now)?

>
> I say "would" rather that "will" because I doubt that I will be aware 
> of his suffering.  After all, I am older than he is.  I am thinner 
> however.

I've always thought Tennis was more "heart healthy"  than Golf as "country-club" sports go...   but I think more (sleazy?) deals are made on the golf course.  I think you made a better choice.    I hope that you and Biden both outlive his first term, and get to live in the "interesting times" implied for the 2024 cycle.

- Steve



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