Double standards and believing

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 120988



> Del comments:

> <snipping a lot of good stuff, leaving several examples>

> Ernie's parents believe DD so Ernie believes Harry : good.
> Seamus' mother believes Fudge so Seamus believes Fudge : bad.
> 

> People don't believe in LV's resurrection : bad.
> Hermione doesn't believe in heliopaths : good.
> 

> I wish someone could explain to me what exactly is expected of people
> in the Potterverse, short of being Legilimens or knowing instinctively
> what is right or not.
> 
> I've read that people should learn to think by themselves no matter
> what their parents and friends think. But when Percy does it, he's
> evil, and when his siblings don't do it, they're good.
> 

> I've read that people should check their sources and facts before
> making their decisions. And yet they are expected to believe in the
> resurrection of a dead wizard. They are also expected to believe in a
> single undetailed second-hand testimony.
> 	
> I've read that people shouldn't be influenced by the popularity or
> glory of someone (Lockhart, Crouch, Fudge...). And yet everyone should
> remember how great a wizard DD was, and that Harry saved the WW as a
baby.
> 


Neri:
This post strongly reminded me of the Eschatological Laundry List,
which is a partial register of 927 (or was it 928?) eternal truths.
The four eternal truths that especially came to my mind were: 

************************************
32. We must live within the ambiguity of partial freedom, partial
power, and partial knowledge.

33. All important decisions must be made on the basis of insufficient
data.

34. Yet we are responsible for everything we do.

35. No excuses will be accepted. 
************************************

It seems that these eternal truths hold not merely for RL, but also
for the WW. In fact, Harry himself would probably be the first to
admit it.


Neri,
who was given this list as a present from a very good friend many
years ago, but lost it, and thanks Del for reminding him and making
him looking it up on the web. If anyone's interested the (partial)
list, originally by Sheldon Kopp, can be found in:
http://tombrazaitis.com/Eternal%20Truths.htm