What is a man?

Indeed ... what is a man?

Well, let's look at James' definition ...


James: I cannot believe that I have a son that's such a coward. Stop whining, paul. Do something. Take some action. For once, act like a man.

Paul: So, if I show any kind of compassion or show any kind of remorse, then I'm a coward in your eyes?

James: The shoe fits.


You know, in the midst of my browser problems with Vista, I could only post on certain boards. I became involved in a lengthy discussion at one of these boards ... and one of my points was:

We all have a "Jungian Shadow Self" ... that Dark Part of ourself that only wants what Self wants. That atavistic, recidivistic return to the animal programming that most of us try to suppress. We try to suppress it because the suppression of it is what makes us Human Beings and NOT animals. Animals are primarily and genetically programmed to survive by pursuing their immediate wants ... food, propagation, territorial control at ANY cost. Even in set Social Structures animals are not idealistic ... there is no awareness of right or wrong in Nature. Animals are driven by genetic programming. And Self is supreme.

When we allow our "Shadow Self" to dominate over Rationality and Compassion, we are little more than animals.

James is an animal.

One of the many reasons I'm so fascinated with Paul is because of his constant struggle to suppress his "Dark Side". And what a struggle it has been. Wheh. Every time he finally manages to understand what he has allowed himself to surrender to and then struggles to move forward ... another set of circumstances tears his world asunder and he has to again struggle with what it is to be Human.

It is not that Paul has not learned from his mistakes ... it is that Paul has to constantly struggle with doing the right thing. Nothing really is really "easy" for him.

Because see ... 5,000 years of recorded History shows us that... Evil is "EASY". And Good? A constant struggle.

Paul as Protagonist is a classic anti-Hero. His tragic flaw is that it is sometimes "easy" for him to fall into Self. His hard won triumph? That he then TRIES to overcome it. Life is a perpetual process for him. As it is for ALL of us.

James: I cannot believe that I have a son that's such a coward. Stop whining, paul. Do something. Take some action. For once, act like a man.

Paul: So, if I show any kind of compassion or show any kind of remorse, then I'm a coward in your eyes?

James: The shoe fits.

Yes it does James. Because Paul is a man capable of wearing a shoe. Unlike you, James. Now go on ... trot your little cloven hoofs right out of Oakdale. The sooner the better.

James has more than wore out his "welcome" with me. Grin.

• Re: As the saying so eloquently goes...... WORD. Thanks Tat. It was nice for me to be reminded of how the voice of James and everyone else who gets in his way speaks for the hoofed mass who like to ridicule Paul. They just dont fit into humanity's shoes. I"ll take Pauls kind of manly over James....or anyone else's "manly" ideals any day. Pauls the kind of man I want loving me and protecting me....and standing by my side. (NT) -- Jen, 06:32:28 09/17/08 Wed
  • Well, that's exactly it for me too, Jen. For all Paul's faults, he has a good heart. He may lose his way at times ... but we ALL do. He still TRIES to be a good person. AND that is all I can ask of anyone. He IS the kind of man that I could love. (NT) -- tat, 05:34:31 09/18/08 Thu

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• AWESOME, Tat! PAUL IS A MAN!!!

  What a most excellent post, Tat!! Every point you made rings more true than anything else I have ever read about our guy.....and his cloven-hoofed - sorry excuse of a father. Roger has made Paul a fascinating character to watch because of every aspect of Paul that you have mentioned. I love Paul. He IS a man. Any intelligent being gets that. No doubt about it....And hey, it's awfully good to have you back! SCREW VISTA!!!!! (NT) -- TK, 23:22:15 09/17/08 Wed
  • Hee! Jen - You make a good point! Who wouldn't rather have a man like Paul, as opposed to the ideal man of the coterie who constantly berate him??? Cloven-hoofed they are - For sure. However, it is a comfort that our idea of what constitutes a real man, is so different from theirs - isn't it? (GRIN) (NT) -- TK, 23:27:54 09/17/08 Wed
  • Good to be back, TK! I've missed your snaps ... and I've been dying to talk about Paul for a long time here.

    You know what really gets me about James' supercilious and sickening nonsense about making Paul a man? By what lights? James' self-serving, self-centered insanity? James isn't a man ... nothing he has done in the years I have been watching him qualifies as to what I think a man is or does. Geez! (NT) -- tat, 05:42:43 09/18/08 Thu