Hackneyed stereotyped conventional ignorance about amputation

[MTSoft6224 at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/2/00 10:15:55 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
jralessi at hotmail.com writes:

> There is no need to pity the man. He is living the life he chose for 
>  himself. If anything envy him. It is unfortunate he now regrets his 
decision 
> 
>  and deny's that the choice was his own leaving him bitter and unable to 
>  address your concepts without a personal attack. Simply take it under 
>  advisement when reading the posts. Don't let him make it personal.
>  

Joe,
Having been around George's posts for a long time, I don't believe he regrets 
the decision.  I believe that he regrets not making it earlier.

The human mind is one of the most complex machines/organisms ever built.  
(for lack of a better way of describing it.)   For any of us to simplify 
anothers emotions is sheer folly.   For us to say all decisions are rational 
is folly.  Let's use one of your examples, the Berkowitz case.  Ok, the use 
of the gun was rational.  But was the initial decisions to believe a dog, to 
kill... were they rational?  From observation, I feel that one can make a 
series of rational decisions based wholly upon one irrational decision.  

And then we have issues like obssession/compulsion, etc. which are not 
irrational, IMHO.   We all have our hangups, our quirks, if you will.  We all 
can justify what we have or haven't done... who's to say we are right?  It 
seems that when we are insecure in our own decision making process or the 
results of those decisions that we (and I NOT pointing fingers at anyone 
here, hell, I've done it myself) that we condemn someone in order to 
rationalize our own self-worth.

Another thought for discussion... emotions about self and about life are not 
rational.  Emotions by their nature are not 100% rational or logical.  
Pavlov's research only applies to dogs.  And lastly:  what possessed me to 
bring up Pavlov?  Totally irrational.

Peace,
Mark T.