The Soda Shop Message Boards

Pound Foolish wrote:Everyone who was participating in the insults did understand it was all in fun, Mr. Thinker. The trouble comes when you assume everyone else is sensitive. When Mr. Thinker yells a playful insult, it's a license for anyone to join in. But we all actually like each other, and don't mean a word we say, so nobody's hurt, as there's no reason to be.
Some of my best friends insult me all the time because we LIKE each other, and we KNOW we do, so it doesn't matter how much we insult each other. We'd never act that way around someone we weren't good friends with, but since we are, we know it's really just our way of showing each other we're close. They didn't insult me when they didn't know and like me well. If they were to stop insulting me, I'd be worried they didn't like me anymore!
There's a serious side to debating Emily, where TS, Meltsner Girl, Mr. Thinker, and I, all contemplate the problems and religious implications of her character, in the debating Emily topic, mostly. Then there's the downright absurd side of how much we disagree about this, and the fun of forming our little Emily-cyber-political-parties. That's the part I so often mess around with with good ol' Suzy. And that, as I say, is what's going on here.
So, those who playfully insult are fine with it. You DON'T like it, and we've never insulted you, because we know you would be bothered. That's the way this works. But don't expect everyone else to feel the way the way you do. I hope none of this offends you, I'm just trying to explain matters to you to prevent future hurt and worry for you.