Klarinet Archive - Posting 000672.txt from 2001/04

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Revelli, Perlman, and other geniuses
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 08:53:30 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Spiegelthal" <Spiegelthal.Dave@-----.COM>
Subject: [kl] Re: Revelli, Perlman, and other geniuses

>
>
> ... To what extent does extraordinary talent permit a person to be (pardon
the word)
> a jerk? Some people seem to believe that exceptionally-gifted people (in
> whatever field) are allowed to be lacking in human sensitivity or social
graces,
> yet others feel that such people should be held to the same standards of
> civility as anyone else.

Personally I believe that all people should be civil. Yet I will tolerate
poor personality traits from those who have something exceptional to offer.
While I wouldn't tolerate anything that constitutes a danger to me, I
wouldn't deny myself the benefit of their genius just because they are
jerks.

People are complex and far from perfect. Do we fault Andrew Carnegie for
being a rapacious business man or praise him for founding and being the
driving force behind free public libraries? Do we laud Otto Schindler for
his actions in saving many Jewish people or castigate him for openly
flaunting his mistresses in front of his wife? Or do we accept that people
have both good and bad traits and simply look at them as a whole person.

Dee Hays
Michigan

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