to think that Derren Brown has

[betabaker]

a point here that we would all do well to reflect on?
"When we are customarily annoyed by what we see as the failings of others, we are judging them by a ludicrous standard: we are assuming that they fully understand our desires, quite possibly better than we do, and that they have nothing to do but arrange things to fall seamlessly into place around our probably ill-communicated wishes...People rarely act or talk in a way that to them seems stupid or unjustified; in arguments we would benefit far more from understanding the viewpoint we find so inconcevable than being outraged at its unreasonableness.
"Each of us is leading a difficult life, and when we meet people we are seeing only a tiny part of the thinnest veneer of their complex, troubled existences. To practice anything other than kindness towards them is to quietly deny their humanity."

You should post this on the thread about circumcision.

oh? which one?

All very laudable from young Mr Derren - but it sounds like a drippy throwback to his handclappy godbothery years.

If some prick says black people should fuck off back to the jungle I am not going to afford them any kindness whatsofuckingever.

I think Derren has a point. Tim Dowling did a lovely piece a while back about going to see a relationship therapist with his wife, and the comment the therapist made that stayed with him was, "The thing to remember in an argument is that the other person doesn't think they're wrong." Although that seems very obvious, it's easy to forget and imagine that the other person is being deliberately difficult or annoying.

Stealth, what you seem to forget about circumcision is that for those of us who wouldn't dream of doing it it is a violent act, and to harm our child is a frankly vile thing to do.

Ah yes ... what would Derren Brown do?

What would Paul Daniels do?

Not a lot.

hahahah re paul d.

I just want to say this.

I have been done by Derren Brown.... it was good... he read my mind... I will love him for ever more......

I've just read the book that was in- it was a good point he made about kindness. I found the whole thing very overwritten though, and didn't enjoy it as much as I'd expected to. But I still love him- I think he's smashing.

Had a very erotic dream about Derren t'other night.

He says he's gay.

My dream and I say he's not.

When I meet him I shall remind him that to tell me I'm wrong will deny my humanity and he MUST recreate the dream with me.

I do love him when he's entertaining and think he's funny and extremely talented but he can be incredibly smug and showy offy with his 25-words-where-one-would-do schtick. Much like Mr. Fry.

You have been done by Derren? Isn't he gay?

I copied that out of the book, partly because it kind of suprised me coming from him inbetween the 'what I sing while I'm cleaning my teeth' bits and partly because of the bit about each of us leading difficult lives - I know he's just preaching toleration but that's pretty rare among 'celebs'