Scuba Extremists

[Rhone Man]

I have been dealing with scuba extremists lately, and it is beginning to bug me. I won't call them out here. I just wonder if it is possible for an extremist to look objectively at his or her own beliefs. I wonder if others can recognize when an extremist has gone too far.

One of my favourite quotes is from the British philosopher Bertrand Russell:

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."

 

[RJP]

They were loud, obnoxious, and quite full of themselves.

This is not a unique dynamic...

 

[Steve_C]

Supposedly due to Einstein but that is not relevant.

"Anything taken to its logical conclusion is illogical"

If you take part of the "facts" and go as far as you can with just those facts you will come to an extreme point.

Reality requires nuance and the balance of competing "facts"

 

[Mike126]

So does this mean I won't die if I don't wear a BPW????

 

[Nemrod]

The DIR proselytizing is alive and well and DIR is debatable still as to it being best for anything but cave penetration but now there is UTD and sidemount and that must surely be more right that Doing It Right. Right? Y'all do it right and continue the rightness debate, I will do it any which way I can and have resigned to simply doing it wrong from that extremist dogma.

N

 

[RJP]

So does this mean I won't die if I don't wear a BPW????

 

[dmaziuk]

So does this mean I won't die if I don't wear a BPW????

- In many languages a double negative means positive, but there isn't one where a double-positive is a negative



- yeah right

 

[Adobo]

Do you ever think the Jews will get over the Holocaust and the Nazis?

Is it possible that you have lost all perspective?

---------- Post added July 21st, 2015 at 11:26 AM ----------

The DIR proselytizing is alive and well and DIR is debatable still as to it being best for anything but cave penetration but now there is UTD and sidemount and that must surely be more right that Doing It Right. Right? Y'all do it right and continue the rightness debate, I will do it any which way I can and have resigned to simply doing it wrong from that extremist dogma.

N

I imagine there is a number of posts (where one complains and bashes DIR) wherein the poster finally gets their DIR chip of their shoulder. I don't know what that number is but there must be one.

 

[ev780]

Yeah, but you are the same way in real life.

The internet extremists that I've run into in wouldn't start the same nonsense with either of us in real life. It it is quite easy to be an a**hole to people on the internet and get away with it because no one can reach through the screen. It shows the actual courage of their convictions, if people on the Internet wrote like they were standing in front of the reader, I believe the Internet a would be a more civil place.

I don't mind extreme ideas or views as long as the person with them listens to my ideas on the subject as well, and does not make my life miserable trying to convert me. If it isn't enlightening, I go on my way or, occasionally, start poking them with a sharp stick to see what happens.

One other point is that some extreme ideas are considered bad and incorrect just because of political considerations. Socrates and Galileo had their problems with it, but it still goes on today.

15-16 years ago I remember the DIR wars and some of the flame fests that went on, especially on a Southern California board that was around at the time. That's actually what turned me off to DIR so bad that I thought there would be no way be I would ever be a part of something that vile. Unfortunately some of the feelings still remain and I can't fully shake it. Do you ever think the Jews will get over the Holocaust and the Nazis?
.

Saw that one coming.......

A fun thread actually.

I have two extreme points for you ignoramuses out there and you will "respect my authoritie"!!! Actually like Kartman I have no authoritie!!!

---Bob is right. People love the shield of the internet. As do I sometimes, I admit it! Also a lot of posters can't write good. That is OK, as writing is a skill and it is so easy to say something is a way that is offensive or inflammatory. Using the command form in a sentence is one that I happen to notice often. "You need to wear a BP/W as this is far superior to anything else." "I wear a BP/W as it fits my style much better than anything else." The first version of the same basic sentence fires me up and if I am particularly pissy that day I will make a comment. The second version says the same thing and I seldom notice. I do appreciate the input of the subject I am reading about.

---Blind adherence to the rules. Rules and policies are there for a reason but thankfully there is no SCUBA police, yet. Probably coming soon, as the PC, rules following crowd will make sure of that. Couple a blind rule follower with a command sentence builder and I almost always chime in.

Life is shades of grey (gray) and that is what makes life on these boards so much fun up until it gets personal........That is when I get extreme.

 

[wrybosome]

In my fairly limited experience, this is waaaaaay more of a problem with diving forums than with diving. I've not run into any gear or alphabet agency fanatics from any end of the spectrum when on a boat up here. Mostly people are too busy getting ready to dive, resting from their dive, talking about their dive, puking, or whatever. The extremists are probably too busy posting to get all their crap out onto a boat and actually go dive.

The old-school artifact divers and the DIR-Fers and the TDI guys and gals where I'm at have all been helpful to me and shared knowledge, helped out on issues with trim and gear and nav, etc. I honestly haven't seen the stuff everybody moans about here. I'm sure it happens in real life too (maybe more in FL?) but it seems to me it's more of an online phenomenon.