October 15th, 2008

Today I met a man with the most classic bulbous drinker's nose I've seen in a long time ... since a certain university professor, actually. And it got me thinking about that proverbial "bulbous nose of the drinker".

Is it a badge of cowardice, or a sign of great stress? I mean, it's easy to judge a man by his actions (or, in this case, an appearance which betrays his actions), but without the knowledge of his past, that judgment is mere speculation and uninformed opinion. And have you noticed that speculation and uninformed opinion is the norm nowadays? Have you noticed that we are all perfectly within our New Rights to opine about anything we want, even if our knowledge of it is imperfect. In fact, I think we all may be encouraged to do so. In some countries they positively worship the uninformed street hoods, some making it to elected official status. And the Ignorant Person of the People becoming the executive leadership.

But that's a fine line, isn't it? Since we all have a story and we all share the same basic experiences (in short: we are all born, we all suffer, and we all die) then what excuse does anyone have for any attitude at all? Are we really better off with what has traditionally passed? Is there anything such as an informed opinion anyhow? Maybe judging that man with the bulbous nose is no better than enabling him further.

"Nature vs. Nurture" is the classic "either/or" proposition, one being fatalistic and one arguing choice in this life ... but perhaps each of us is a combination of both. Perhaps we are a product of our environment and also the result of our predisposition. Maybe that bulbous nose didn't need to be so bulbous; one could have a life more-or-less free from the tyranny of addiction. Or maybe that nose could have been more bulbous and the owner of said nose could be living in the back alleys of Skid Row. How can one know for sure?

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