In time, the overall context of this exchange will be lost, unless I note it here. This is an exchange of high significance, however, because of its context.
Right now, @NLENTS is still smarting from a recent “exchange” with the Discovery Institute (Nathan Lents: My Experience With Discovery). @Agauger’s bruising “exchange” with several people here is not even concluded yet (Gauger and Mercer: Bifunctional Proteins and Protein Sequence Space). The natural instinct of any one is to escalate the rhetoric of victimization and anger and of fear. That is the context of Gauger’s article at the Discovery Institute, and Lents’ response here. The natural response is to respond in kind, retreat to our respective corners of the fracture society.
Think neither fear nor courage saves us.
Unnatural vices are fathered by our heroism.
Virtues are forced upon us by our impudent crimes.
These tears are shaken from the wrath-bearing tree
– T.S Elliot, Wasteland
The thing about the origins dialogue is that is so often nothing like a dialogue. It is the sort of political, cultural, personal warfare that brings out the worst in all of us. I’ve seen it bring out the worst in me, and in those of us here. Then comes this word of peace. The least natural response of all. Ironically, its surprising nature is most visible against the backdrop of the wasteland.
This is the paradox of the origins debate. Our collective impudence creates the conditions for true virtue to arise and become visible. Costly virtue, baptized in the tears of frustration and injury. Real virtue that makes all of the wasteland seem worth all the abuse.
Ann, my friend, I have a deep respect for your kindness here in the middle of conflict. Nathan, thank you for meeting her gesture with kindness too. I hope that when the time comes I am as gracious as both of you. I hope we all are able to find virtue here too. This is glimpse at the best of us and what we are, and I hope we see more of this at Peaceful Science, and everywhere else in our fractured society. As @NLENTS aptly puts it:
May our virtues grow in this wasteland.