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The Forum > Article Comments > Angels and Demons > Comments

Angels and Demons : Comments

By Don Aitkin, published 13/4/2021

Tough-minded people like 'facts', and they are materialistic and pessimistic. The tender-minded rely on principles, and they are idealistic, dogmatic and optimistic.

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Hi Hassy

You've done well. I wish my son was around. Yep, no smoke. drink, gamble or marry bad woman is the way to go through life loan free.

I also bought a place young (admittedly on a double income ex-wife and I), then bought a bigger place just before the local market really took off. I had a really strange first full time job presided over by an ex-military martinet.

After 5 years, I worked in a straigt job. The old hands at the old work said I'd gotten out at the right time. Before the next "bosses" turned out to be worse than the martinet.

Moving from a high price city sale to a cheaper regional centre way up north was a good move. Buying a place for cash.

I found that some manageable health problems were exacerbated by the strain of marriage. Also my fascination with war and security can make me difficult to live with - ie. with women who see the world like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_retrospection

Thanks for the island offer - but I like heaps of books, latest cinema, and very Western conversation, women's company (on a non-ownership basis).

Lots of cheap land in Oz up north, centre.

Yes its sad for oldies who have little to do after retirement. I'm hitting 60 very soon - part of why I'm rather publicly taking stock of things now.

Cheers

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Wednesday, 14 April 2021 3:39:40 PM
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plantagenet,
i have a roof over my head, a car & a little boat & I'm not starving & believe me I'm most appreciative of my situation in that regard.
What I do miss is a cultured mentality social scene ! I just can't get myself to engage in Football, Cricket, dope smoking & getting blind drunk & getting a Tattoo !
Posted by individual, Wednesday, 14 April 2021 7:26:29 PM
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Yes Pete, looking forward to a new boss being better than the old one is a mugs game, bound usually for disappointment. I was very lucky when we got a new director responsible for both my divisions. He was a finance not tourism man, & when he asked why you did something a certain way, his questions were to learn by comparing your system with others in the 24 properties he was responsible for.

He quickly saw my point that your customer is not the tourist, but the agent who sent them, to you. Sure you have to send the tourist home happy with your offering, & having enjoyed themselves, but making it easier, more comfortable & profitable for that agent is the way to get more business. Tourists are easy. They came out to enjoy themselves, & with just a little help, & no hassles from you, they will.

Those bad bosses, demons, are not necessarily dills. You can often learn a lot from them, if only how not to treat staff. Then if an angle boss, who is there to help you make good comes along, life is great.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 15 April 2021 2:11:04 AM
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.

Dear Don (the author),

.

Angels v Demons, tough-minded empiricism v tender-minded rationalism, realism v idealism, materialistic pessimism v religious optimism, liberalism v socialism, free-will (autonomy) v determinism, xenophobia v xenophilia, wealth v poverty, . . .

The antagonistic duality of William James’ philosophy seems more of the order of ideology than of pragmatism, don’t you think ?

There is nothing to prevent people from being both rational and empirical concordantly in their endeavours, whatever they may happen to be.

James’ is a grossly simplistic and unjustifiably Manichaean point of view of individuals and society in my opinion. It may apply to some individuals but certainly not to humanity as a general rule by any stretch of the imagination.

As Yuyutsu and even you, yourself, pointed out, Don, human nature is far more complex – and might I add, intelligent – than that.

.
Posted by Banjo Paterson, Thursday, 15 April 2021 2:14:36 AM
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Hi indi

Like you I couldn't give a damn about "Football [eg. soccer Rugby League and Union,] Cricket, dope smoking & getting blind drunk & getting a Tattoo"

Before a grand final I have no idea whose playing and don't follow the horsies.

I prefer tennis (especially women players - Sharapova was easy on the eyes) watching female Olympic beach vollyball (waiting for Tokyo this year) and female figure skaters (on SBS Saturdays). Also conversation over lunch with women (because they're not as competitive).

I drink in moderation (part reason, hangovers get worse with age and I need so much medication the second drink leaves no buzz). No dope, smokes or "happy" pills.

So much more to life in reading, latest movies and (ABC and SBS British) series and specialist internatonal blogging (see my comment http://intelnews.org/2021/03/10/01-2968/#comments )

Indi, reckon, life in moderation and lots of exercise is best.

Cheers

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Thursday, 15 April 2021 8:20:05 AM
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I used to do a lot of book reading Pete, but old eyes become strained, causing head aches after a couple of hours. The computer where print size is optional is much better.

I once bought a complete 19 volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, plus 10 Ready Reference volumes, & a few year books at a "going Home" to England auction in Honoria. Far too much to store on my yacht, & use as reference books. I stored therm with a mate with an atoll plantation way north of Bouganville, & took the first 2 with me.

Ultimately I worked my way through the lot from cover to cover, how many could say that. Not all that much to do at night when you are anchored at a small island building a jetty for someone, or sailing a few hundred miles to somewhere you can refill your gas bottles.

These days I build things. My first classic sports car was built from a couple of derelicts bought for $1200 the pair as a retirement project. Registered on the road after a year, but required another 4 to get quite right. Today it has a couple of mates.

Building cars got a bit heavy, so today it's remote control planes, both building & repairing them. I repair quite a few for mates who are better at crashing than repairing their planes. They keep giving me planes which I repair & add to the collection. I must have over 40, many I have never flown.

Retirement doesn't have to be boring. In fact I am so busy I don't know how I ever found time to go to work.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 15 April 2021 3:08:08 PM
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