[overflow] Re: GHHS

["Rob 'Autographed Cat' Wynne" <doc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 08:33 AM 3/29/01, Michelle & Boyd Bottorff wrote:
>I eventually developed an attitude of "I am so much better than you,
>that I don't need to care what you say."  Whether this counts and a
>scarring of my psyche, and whether I'm in danger of becoming a
>sociopath, I leave it to you all to determine, but as you might have
>noticed I do not apply it universally, only to people who display
>re-occurant "unexceptable" behavior.

For what it's worth, I have the same defense reaction.  My family brought 
me up to believe that I /was/ better than most folks.  Of course, that 
carries less privilege than it does responsibility.  (Part of being better 
than other folks is the expectation that you will live up to those standards.)

But I've stressed to people for years that you only need take to heart the 
opinions of those who you respect.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions, 
but they are not entitled to have you accept them.  As Eleanor Roosevelt 
once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Rob


-- 
Rob Wynne / The Autographed Cat / doc@america.net
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