true friends

<asshole>,

I cannot describe in words just how offensive your email is, and just how offensive I find you. To try to put it into perspective for you, I've decided to respond to your mail in the traditional way, piece by piece. I don't actually expect you to read the whole thing, because you're in the same boat as you've put him in: you can't AFFORD to listen to me.

But even if I'm right, I'm going to take this opportunity to add this to the collection of things that I'll be passing around to all my friends and family as an example of what to be aware of.
You might want to read it just so that you know what I'm saying about you and NM in general.

Dear <totalwaste>,

You were deeply insulted last Thursday, and I am sorry for that.

You were invited the opening of <daddy-o>'s business. You were in the company of his best friends and family!!! (that is a good thing)

You're absolutely right. Part of the mechanism for keeping the memeplex of NM alive is to get people to push it on those they care about. If you're not familiar with the word "memeplex", I'd suggest looking it up.
The clever thing about this mechanism is that the people closest to you will feel guilty and disloyal for not playing along, and will give you the attention that you need to fool them. I'm not stupid enough to fall for the trap. I will take my chances that I'm offending you, so as to protect the people that *I* care about: something you were simply not capable of doing.

and the fact that you were insulted was not intentional. And yet you decided to deliberately insult and hurt your friend. What kind of person does something like that?

You have judged me, and you have judged me wrong. Not only do I *not* want to hurt my friend, nor insult him, but I don't want to hurt anyone else. The person who has hurt <daddy-o> is YOU, by convincing him to enter into a business which relies on everyone around him demonstrating a lack of wisdom and playing along. You have convinced him to throw down hard cash for something which relies on his skill (and yours, apparently) in sales.

By the way, here's a little treat for you, as you obviously didn't study any basic business courses in a real educational institution:
Marketing is NOT sales. Marketing is constructing a product based on the needs and desires of the target population. The NM is a nasty memeplex that employs severe Christian missioning to SELL just another "fabulous" product out of Utah to any unfortunate person who's not willing to fact-check the great and powerful speech that's been delivered to him.

So well done, you got <daddy-o> to pay good money to become a salesman to people he cares about. That's really nice of you. This is called "using your friends", not being a friend. I try to be a friend, and I promise you that if I had heard that <daddy-o> was planning on getting involved I would've told him the same things I tell any of my friends, because unlike you I actually CARE about what happens to him.

If you were to open a Chinese restaurant and <daddy-o> came to eat, and didn't like the food, he would not go and write to all his friends about how bad the restaurant is. Think about it... Friends do not act like that.

The first person I would expect <daddy-o> to tell would be ME, so that I could improve my restaurant. And until it improved, I would NOT expect him to keep it a secret from his friends. Good example! See, your definition of "friend" appears to need some work.

I know that it is a mistake to reply, but I decided to write this letter because I think that you do not understand the magnitude of your actions.

It definitely wasn't a mistake to reply, I'm glad that I have the opportunity to let YOU know that I don't blame <daddy-o> for making a mistake, I blame YOU for not being wise enough to take his future into real consideration.

Everyone else in the room found the presentation very interesting and stayed until mid-night. Maybe if you had an open mind, you might have learned something... and maybe not.

I am very sorry that you have such strong feelings about the NM industry. Maybe you should look it up a bit before you make such harsh statements and hurt your friends (if you consider them friends). Putting "pyramid scams" and Network Marketing in the same sentence, shows ignorance. And saying that the product is not important shows that you where not listening at all.

The word is "pyramid scheme", but I like your version better. I do have an open mind, which is why I stayed as long as I did. I love your assumption that I've never been to a presentation like yours before, not only have I sat through and considered a few of them, but I've heard far more intelligent and less aggressive and arrogant versions. Maybe they just had more self-confidence (I know I'm not supposed to be helping you with pointers, but whatever). You might be more successful if you stop being so defensive, but then you just might realize that what you're doing is wrong, so never mind.

If the product was important you would've focused more on it, but as I've said, you're just selling Yet Another Wonderful Utah Product. It isn't the product that works, it's the investment and the sense of loyalty: it's not a stupid memeplex, they're incredibly cleverly designed and have been refined over millennia. It's called religion. That's probably a big concept for you, I don't expect you to get it right away. But if it suddenly hits you twenty years down the line, please let me know!

As far as you're concerned the biggest problem is that I WAS listening, and that I actually understood what it was I was hearing. Thanks for reminding me.

The fact is, that you blocked out everything from the beginning, you didn't listen to a word that was said (I know because your letter is a long list of messed up quotes and facts, that are based on your interpretation and not on reality).

You really should learn to be more cynical, it's excellent incentive when it comes to finding out real data. You made and continue to make claims that fly in the face of truth. Misrepresentation is your friend, and either you're exploiting it or you're simply not educated enough to handle fallacies.

The following link will take you to a site explaining the logical fallacies with nice examples. Everyone should read them over once or twice, it's truly enlightening.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/

<daddy-o>: MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THEM.

If it was so hard for you, you should have left. You were rude, selfish, and inconsiderate. You didn't stop interfering (with the notes and interruptions). And on top of that you left in the middle for a break and didn't stay until the end.

I do not recall agreeing to sit in a lecture, be lied to to my face, and to be treated with contempt. You're doing the selling, I'm supposedly doing the buying (although I'm not stupid enough for you), don't you DARE act as if I'm beholden to you in any way.

You've already fucked over one friend of mine, and you have the audacity to belligerently talk to me about respect and loyalty? You disgust me.

You know <daddy-o>, and you know that he is a smart guy. Give him the credit he deserves and don't insult his intelligence by writing such an opinion based letter.

Being intelligent does not make a man wise, and wisdom comes with experience. Unfortunately we all learn from the "University of Life", and I hope that <daddy-o> doesn't come to too much grief learning this one.
The problem with you is that you're too closed-minded to view anything that I say as more than opinion. Are you aware of the ongoing argument about Creation Theory (Intelligent Design) and the Theory of Evolution (Darwinism)?

When you don't know anything you can easily call anyone an idiot.

Who the hell do you think you are? Putting yourself above the rest of the world. Are you that arrogant and cocky? Almost every word you wrote was false, and you have the audacity to tell others what to do.

What kind of friend are you if you don't even trust your friends to make there own decisions. Who died and made you god?

Wow. Where do I begin?

1) I'm a friend of <daddy-o>'s.

2) Not above the rest of the world, with the rest of the world and above you.

3) Arrogant and cocky, yes. Uncaring and willing to defraud my friends? No.

4) I contend that every word that comes out of you with regards to this issue is false. Let's see who wins a contest that nobody's judging.

5) I never told ANYONE what to do. Except for you, but that'll come later *.

6) I trust him to make his own decisions, when they're well-informed. Lucky for you there wasn't anybody to keep you in check before he could toss good money into the garbage. And that garbage was refilling YOUR wallet. It's his fault, or even my fault that you made a mistake?

7) I could ask you the same thing. Now you've put him in an awkward situation, and he has to WORK to get his cash back. You can spin this deal however you like, we all know how hard it is to recuperate that loss. This ain't easy money, there isn't any such thing.

You have no idea who I am, but you know <daddy-o>, give the respect that he deserves, and before you start insulting his friends, maybe you should ask him.

I know <daddy-o>, and I have not disrespected <daddy-o> (although you've managed to convince him otherwise, you're simply a better salesman than I care to be**), and I don't need to ask him when his "friends" send me such wonderful communication.

I did not address the personal issues, because I refuse to lower myself to your level. For some reason <daddy-o> still considers you a friend and I will respect him.

Personal issues? Let's see what comes next:

I hope that you find happiness and that you learn a little bit about human relations, sensitivity, tact, respect and manners.

Human relations: obviously something you're an expert at.

*COUGH* You conniving bastard *COUGH*

Sensitivity: You're right. I shouldn't be so sensitive.
Tact: The only reason you'd like me to be more tactful is because it would serve your purposes, I'm not interested in bandying about and playing games, or helping you take advantage of my friends.
Respect: your blatant disrespect for the truth and your friends' quality of life serves as a great example. Speaking of which, did he tell you anything about me or my history before you began talking down to me and talking badly about me to him behind my back?
Manners: My mother always taught me to fly straight and to not screw other people over. And one doesn't need to be polite to people who offend you in the worst ways possible, and try to pit your friends against you. So no, I don't need to show you manners.

I wish you all the best,

Sure you do.

<asshole>

* Get Stuffed.

** <daddy-o>: You've known me long enough that you should understand exactly how I feel about you. Don't let this idiot make you think any differently.