Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00336)

Y'all,

There are multiple misreadings in play, and I don't see much point in 
continuing to correct them, since explanations can lead to further 
misreadings/explanations/misreadings, etc. But one last set of 
corrections before falling silent on this particular issue:

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "wry" <wry1111@e...> wrote:
> Hi Mic. The message below is the original message I wrote. I made 
it from my intelligence, my heart, and my conscience. It was not 
aimed at Paul (though I guess I can see why he might think it was, 

Terrie was more obviously targeted by your complaints about recent 
posts, but the books-recently-read thread was also complained about, 
so I defended it. That doesn't mean I took the entire post as 
targeted primarily at me, or even the other one which was more so. 
Both were rather scatter-shot.

> Paul responded to my message with a weird accusation that it was 
what he called a "fourth-way" message, and I believe he even 
capitalized the words "fourth-way." 

No, I said that what you apparently wanted theos-talk to become was a 
Fourth Way list. You use the lingo.

> He also said my message was inappropriate for this list.

No, I said that the kind of tension you create is inappropriate 
here. That's something that transcends individual messages and 
underlies your entire presence here. Of course, messages unread 
cannot create tension in the non-reader so many are exempt from the 
effect.

> Also, I do not know what Gurdjieff group Paul is from,

For the good reason that there's not one.

> but I was afraid people would think I am from his group, and I had 
to make it clear that I am not. Sorry to say this, Paul.

One would think that after spectacularly and publicly misreading 
someone, you'd become a bit more reticent about venturing into the 
same territory again. I've had only minimal contact with 
Gurdjieffians in person, and none online until recently. Am a 
complete beginner at dealing with the ideas practically. 
The "cutting down to size" routine is silly; I'm a total newbie and 
make no pretense of being anything else. (Or of being on 
a "spiritual path" as you suggest, as opposed to trying to see 
spiritual dimensions in life.)

> And people change in relationship to my material. .Paul has left me 
a private email saying how much he learned about himself from the 
experience of my mistaking him for Brian, 

Not quite! How much I learned about how Brigitte and Daniel's 
appropriation of my books for opposed partisan agendas had obscured 
my own identity and intentions to people on this list.

People who know me are more useful to learning about myself than 
people who plug an imaginary "K. Paul Johnson" into a story line of 
their own creation that would pretty much be the same whether or not 
I was incorporated into it. (Which is not aimed at Wry specifically 
but rather at online soapbox preachers generally.)

Cheers,

KPJ