(02-05-2011, 03:10 PM)Bring4th_GLB Wrote: Yossarian, is Jeremy receiving this sort of response in a thread other than this one? I just reviewed this particular thread and am unable to locate a single instance of naysaying or brow-beating. Everyone has offered their thoughts with kindness and respect, each person more or less supportive.
Yes, everyone has offered their naysaying thoughts with kindness and respect.
Everyone has offered their discouragement with kindness and respect.
But it's still discouragement. It's still naysaying. Browbeating is a strong word, but not too strong. This is a polite conversation and polite conversations are capable of provided heaps of discouragement. Anyone who has dined with the Queen knows this feeling.
Reading the progression of jeremy's statements from the start of the thread to the end, I see a clear pattern.
He started off with doubts already. He comes to us and says:
jeremy: "I have this creative impulse, and I really think it would be a good product. But I have doubts about whether I'm up to the task. Will I introduce deleterious distortions? Will I cause harm?"
The forum responds:
"This would be unwise. [insert theological argument]" <-- obvious discouragement
"There are better ways to reach people, such as radiating your being. [insert scripture to support argument]" <-- tacit discouragement, redirecting jeremy's inspiration towards something that resonates with the poster rather than with jeremy.
"Others have not considered themselves sufficiently anointed to do this task. Why are you capable of it?" <-- sowing doubt and feelings of inferiority
"Instead of following your inspiration in X way, you should follow it in Y way [insert scriptural support]" <-- tacit discouragement
"Why are you doing this? Why are you removing the uniqueness of the material?" <-- this is a false dichotomy. By reformulating the material, jeremy removes nothing from the original material. Nothing is lost. The uniqueness is still present in the original source and now there is a derivative work which serves a derivative purpose.
"Don Elkins wrote it this way because Don thought it was best this way." <-- tacit discouragement. Who is jeremy to make a new spin on Don's work!?!
"You can't judge what another person needs to hear, therefore reformulating the material according to your own inspirations is paternalistic" <-- discouragement, and a fallacious argument. You can apply this argument to literally every piece of communication ever. It's not paternalistic to make a judgement call based on inspiration about what things to prioritize when you communicate with someone. It's a necessary part of every communication, including when Ra spoke to Don, when Don spoke to Ra, and when all of you speak on this forum.
"It's ok to do this, but you should only speak about it and not write about it." <-- again, this is telling jeremy to do what resonates with "me" rather than what resonates with jeremy
Personally I think several of you are being hypocritical in your advice to jeremy because you, on this forum, perform the same service that he wishes to perform everytime you write something on this topic. If you were to follow your own advice, you would just post the entirety of the LOO books in response to every question, which would be absurd. "No redactions! All quotations must include the entire work or the quotation has been cherry picked in distorted alignment with your flawed personality filter!"
Here's my advice to jeremy: What resonates with other people is not what will resonate with you. Most others are telling you what resonates with them. For instance I personally would not do your project because I'm not you. I would do some other project that I'm inspired to do. But since you're CLEARLY inspired to do this project, and clearly have a noble cause and a noble purpose, and even see and know others who would likely benefit from this project of yours... do it!
Everything everyone ever says whether online or speech or a book is filtered through their personality. I'm SURE you will do your best to be as accurate and helpful as possible in your interpretation. This is all that can be asked of anyone - to do their best. And so I genuinely think it would be a tragedy if you stifled your inspiration out of a fear of being imperfect. Have the courage to risk your imperfection and do the best you can. Have the courage to follow your convictions and the deep longings of your heart. If no one will support you, go on alone!
Inspiration is a rare and beautiful thing. Rarely do I see people express creative inspiration for something they deeply care about as you just have. I think and feel and believe that you, jeremy, you can trust your creative impulse and you can trust that sense of inspiration. You can trust that it won't lead you astray. Follow the excitement! Act!