Comments on: Big Brother & You

By: Carnival Culture 06: Peace-Keepers - [tmbchr]â„¢

Carnival Culture 06: Peace-Keepers - [tmbchr]â„¢ — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:26:39 +0000

[...] In pack dynamics, this leadership role may not be a strictly formal one, so much as it is that the alphas set an example after which other pack members inevitably follow: The alpha pair have the most social freedom of all the animals in a pack, but they are not “leaders” in the sense humans usually think of the term. They do not give the other wolves orders. The alphas simply have the most freedom to choose where they would like to go and what they would like to do, and the rest of the pack usually follows along. [...]

By: Tim Boucher

Tim Boucher — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 21:54:45 +0000

Junior can grow up and get to that point too.

And

So do you think we can ever â€œgrow up?â€ And when are we ready to?

Great question… Can we “grow up”? What happens when we grow up? Does the conspiracy come to your house in a limo and give you a choice of getting in or getting murdered on the spot? What happens when you figure it out and tell your parents?

By: Tim Boucher

Tim Boucher — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 21:53:19 +0000

James: yeah I knew the name Jacob meant “supplanter” and it’s odd because I have several good friends named that right now, just as I also have several friends named Jeremy, which means “Yahweh has uplifted.” Funny how those things cluster around you

I think the best analogy for me and him is Jacob & Esau, with Jacob stealing the birthright from his brother by fooling their blind father Isaac.

I’m definitely going to have to go back and read through that story again because I had forgotten about the actual circumstances of it. Hm, blind father - I wonder if that hooks into the “blind god” aspect of the Demiurge at all…

By: James

James — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:06:14 +0000

I’m the second oldest. A lot of my friends are the second oldest.

My brother was the typical Alpha male: played sports, dated lots of girls, very popular in school, a tough guy in the streets and a nice guy underneath it all.

I was sort of the opposite: I read a lot, wrote stories and poems, played music, did OK with girls but nothing spectacular, only participated in one sport (cross-country running), always more street-wise than street-tough, and a nice guy on the surface.

My brother and I went off in very different directions, and even though he’s my older brother I think our differences made us into equals. He cannot do what I do, and I cannot do what he does.

However, my interest in the arts came from him. He used to dabble in writing and poetry and art but he never took an abiding interest in it. I did, mostly because he showed me the way. But I was the one who followed up on it.

I think the best analogy for me and him is Jacob & Esau, with Jacob stealing the birthright from his brother by fooling their blind father Isaac.

The name James is a derivative of Jacob, which means “the supplanter”. I like that idea, that I am a supplanter.

Maybe that is why I feel like I can usurp the established authority: because I’ve subverted it many times before, on smaller scales.

By: Zac

Zac — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 03:10:47 +0000

I am an oldest. I was always upset that my little brothers got roughly the same privledges as I did, or else received them before I did on the age scale. For instance, I got a watch for my birthday when I entered 5th grade. The next youngest got one in like 2nd grade. That always pissed me off. So through this analogy I can almost see where the upper class as it were would be discontent with all us underlings grabbing for power and accountibility.

Unfortunately for the metaphore I grew up and am not as greedy beyond the point where I have to turn off morals.

By: Ant

Ant — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:24:20 +0000

That is the best analogy I’ve heard in a long time.

So do you think we can ever “grow up?” And when are we ready to?

By: SubstanceM

SubstanceM — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:36:51 +0000

If the reason the little ones can’t do the same stuff is because big brother is responsible, going to college, etc - well it’s somewhat easier to accept.
Junior can grow up and get to that point too.
If the real reason is that big brother killed all the other older siblings to be the one who can go to college, and once he is there he will do everything he can to keep your little ass out of college…”Mom, it’s not fair. Big bro murdered the family and now he’s trying to keep me in kindergarten forever!!!”

By: whatacharacter

whatacharacter — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:55:21 +0000

crap, I was hoping there’d be some parenting techniques …
Hey! How come you got this big site and have time to write up all this stuff…?