Hi Linda & Cheri Linda.. ========== I'm having a tough time connecting Victor Frankl to internet marketing... lol ========== LOL. Well, he talks about the meaning of life, human nature and the freedom to make our own choices. See how that applies? Not so much to "internet marketing" per se, but to the people and the choices they make. He talks of the people in the camps that gave their last morsel of bread to someone in worse shape -- and the people that lay in waiting to rob a scrap of bread or pair of shoes from someone weaker. Human choices, human dignity (or lack therof), a kind nature or a mean streak - we have all of those online, too. ======= First, I don't believe there are any decent or indecent people - because I think everyone is perfect exactly as they were born - and I think all experiences serve purpose. ======= When a bouncer in NY dragged a drunk college girl off screaming, wrapped her face in duct tape and then raped/killed her, was he perfect? My sense of decency shrieks NO, he was not. When people create scams to fleece the unwary, are they perfect? Again, I think not. Just my humble opinion, of course. I agree that experiences serve a purpose - but I do not think everyone is perfect exactly as they are. Not by a long shot. ======= You are such a thought provoker! ======= lol. Thanks. I do enjoy intelligent conversation and hearing other opinions. It's very enlightening. Cheri; ========== I don't think scams, whether online or offline, fall into the category of decent or indecent that Frankl was referring to. ========== lol. Scams - not so much. The people who come up with them with full intent to deceive others -- maybe so? *wink* Linda P.S. Are we having fun yet? lol

Hi Linda, I'm so glad that you liked the Frankl book. I thought ( make that KNEW) you would. ============ "Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who suffered the horrors of a Nazi death camp and whose family was gassed. After the Holocaust, he was asked, "Do you hate the Germans?" "No, I don't," he replied, "because there are only two races, the decent and the indecent." ============ I can relate to that. I cannot imagine that EVERY Nazi was a devil. Some were probably very decent people who had to go along with the evil leaders or be shot themselves. I could imagine that many who were forced to do disgusting things did so with great pain in their hearts and tears in their eyes. I guess this is what the other Linda (Miller) was sort of alluding to when she said: ============ "First, I don't believe there are any decent or indecent people - because I think everyone is perfect exactly as they were born - and I think all experiences serve purpose. There are no failures, just opportunities to learn... you know what I mean." ============ I have to say this though. I think some people are born evil. I can only surmise that eventual rapists, murderers, torturers, serial killers and the like have a part of their brain mal-formed or missing. Perhaps it is a quirk of genetics that causes that. Whatever the reason, these people perform evil acts on everyone and every thing. The sooner they are removed from normal society the better off everybody else is. I have a study lying around my office somewhere that defines the actions of recidivists (ones that commit numerous acts of evil or unlawful activities). I remember that one act doesn't necessarily confine a person to a life of evilness. However, two acts pushes the likeliness to way over 50%. Three acts enters such a person into the over 90% domain. More acts push that scale up to something like 97 to 99%. What this means is that 2 or more acts sets a social path of destruction - a bad egg, so to speak. Invariably, these people often die young themselves after causing a trail of misery and disaster. If anybody can convince me that this is "perfect" then I'm here to be convinced. I think the proponents of that study were "Broadhurst and Low (or maybe Loh)." If anybody is interested enough I'll go hunting for it and give some more details. Um... Linda, I didn't really answer your question, did I? OK. Basically, I believe in the two braod categories - decent and indecent. From there I think there are sub-categories. That'll have to do for now. Sorry, I got too Franklized. Gary

Hi; ========== I'm so glad that you liked the Frankl book. I thought (make that KNEW) you would. ========== That I did. Gifts are always delightful, but a great book is at the top of the list. ===== I cannot imagine that EVERY Nazi was a devil. Some were probably very decent people who had to go along ... I could imagine that many who were forced to do disgusting things did so with great pain in their hearts ====== I agree. My old neighbor was in the Hitler youth. In his 60s, he still cried about those years. There is a part in the book where Frankl talks about the behaviours in the camps. He talks about one of the German guards who would sneak food to the prisoners from his own rations knowing he was risking death doing so. At the same, there were fellow Jews that would kill each other to steal a crust of bread or a pair of less ratty shoes... and other fellow Jews that would give up their crust of bread or shoes to someone weaker or hungrier. Choices. Somewhere towards the end, Frankl makes a comment that from his observations, 90% of humans, given the opportunity to become corrupt - will. 10% can not be corrupted no matter what happens to them. Didn't matter whether they were Germans or Jews - the numbers still applied. Somehow, that made me so deeply sad I cried. Much of it struck a chord because my grandfather was a Jew. He fled to Canada before the holocaust and fought in the Canadian forces. The last part of the book, about logotherapy, was fascinating. : ) L

Howdy, =============== "Somewhere towards the end, Frankl makes a comment that from his observations, 90% of humans, given the opportunity to become corrupt - will. 10% can not be corrupted no matter what happens to them. Didn't matter whether they were Germans or Jews - the numbers still applied. Somehow, that made me so deeply sad I cried." =============== Indeed. From my own experience and observations I would support that ratio. Now, here's another observation - quality people tend to stick together. So, the 10% bond while the other 90% either pillage or are prepared to pillage everybody else. The other day I handed over a $10 note in a shop. The young girl gave me change back for $20. I could see that her math was woeful because she stuffed up the till entry then was unable to work out the addition of two items. I helped her, naturally, because she was flustered and embarrassed by it all. My patience was being met by those behind me with deep sighs and mumbled comments to hurry up. This was adding to the girl's fluster. When I handed back the $10 I was annoyed by the snide remarks made by those standing near me. They thought I was an idiot. The world we live in has become subservient to only one god - money. It is indeed very sad. Gary

Hi Gary.... ========== The world we live in has become subservient to only one god - money. It is indeed very sad. ========== See, now that I'd challenge you on. lol. In the friendliest way, of course. I don't think the one *god* is money. I think it's *self* There is too much selfishness. Not enough accountability. Not enough maturity. Not enough responsiblity. I think people put themselves over and above everything else - including money. -- Money is a frivolous thing to be spent at will in the pursuit of "I want.." (*self*) -- Money is a thing to flaunt to say "See, I am better than you..." (*self*) -- Money is a thing to say "Oh, poor me, I have none." (*self*) We live in the *me* generation. If people actually gave a d*mn about money, they'd take better care of it. I've always said that if we could put on magic glasses and see everyone as their mental age instead of their chronological age, we'd realize we live in a world of few real adults. One of the things Frankl said in the years after the holocause was; "I recommend that the Statue of Liberty be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the west coast." : ) Linda