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Professor, we have a problem.

Between you and I, that is. There's a fault between us, formed by a difference in thought and opinion.
For me such a difference is tolerable and not insurmountable in maintaining a strong friendship, but maybe it's less tolerable for you? I'm not sure. If I had to guess, no, it wouldn't be too much of a challenge for you, considering that you've managed to befriend people of Neo-Fascist ideology, despite your political leanings. In short, you're not opposed to listening, entertaining, and otherwise engaging amicably with others that think differently from yourself. That is not the issue; I could be wrong, maybe it is too steep of an incline to traverse, but I think I'm right in this instance.

Your parting words, "Alright, well I made a pact to myself that I wouldn't stick around people who are more interested in appearances than telling the truth." are particularly troublesome. For one, I've never lied about my sex. Anyone that has asked me directly and in earnest I have equally answered directly and earnestly. Granted, I qualify this with the admission that I have never volunteered the information freely; that is NOT the same as being untruthful. I have said it several times before and by now it is a relatively well-known fact that I am a very private person. I don't pry into people's lives without their permission and I expect the same courtesy be rendered unto me.

Why are you so secretive, 2B? What have you got to hide? What are you afraid of? Apart from the more sterile reasons, of not wanting my personal matters to contaminate my objectives with Lunar and threads, there are several personal reasons. The first and most readily understandable is that I am very selective with who I share details about my life with. Admittedly, I am slow to build trust with (keyword: slow. Spare me the juvenile sentiment of being so damaged you cannot ever trust), and that turns off a lot of people as it makes me come off as impersonal, slightly cold, maybe even outright hostile in certain circumstances. Why? The typical, expected response first: I have lived long and thoroughly enough to have had my fair share of horribly close relationships. Unfortunately, even sizable emotional investment does not guarantee protection from betrayal; there is no limit to the contempt of someone that is sufficiently hurt and destabilized. Sharing intimate details about yourself with another implicitly renders you vulnerable and at their mercy, for the knowledge you impart into them can be readily weaponized against you. They know exactly what stings, and so they know precisely where to strike. You're guilty of this type of betrayal, and honestly it has lead me to believe that my trust was indeed misplaced. Nevertheless, I think my reticence is understandable in this regard.

The second response: I do not have the time nor energy to maintain several consequential, sentimentally-rich relationships. Every decision we make comes at an opportunity cost, and that includes who we choose to become close to. Every minute spent in meaningful engagement with someone is at expense of a minute spent in meaningful engagement with someone else. I cherish my closest friends, the ones that have been with me for decades now, and so I do not take the sharing of personal details and connecting with others so lightly. The people I choose to invest myself in are privileged in the manner that they receive my priority. Yes, yes, it all sounds so conceited; allow me to temper that by mentioning that I consider myself privileged whenever someone shares their time, attention, sincere thoughts, and personal details with me. Unquestionably it goes both ways.

This is something I think you fail to appreciate: how much of a privilege it is to get to truly know someone. With all due respect, Professor, sometimes I get the sensation that you are not engaged in conversation with someone--particularly when you are attempting to help them with sagely advice--to help them them in proper, but to test and perhaps confirm ideas that you are enamored with at the time. I am not denigrating you here, nor am I saying that your advice is unhelpful (it is, which is why I'd hope you'd eventually come around, read this, and return); in fact, I think it is indicative of a scientific mindset, wanting to confirm/reject hypotheses. However, you and I are both aware of/harsh critics of scientism and can recognize that there is a place and time for scientific thinking.

Getting back to the situation at hand, I'm reminded of something I read from Erich Fromm. Paraphrasing, there is a need for humanity to gain knowledge, particularly knowledge of how other people tick, and in this pursuit "a child takes something apart, breaks it up in order to know it; or it takes an animal apart; cruelly tears off the wings of a butterfly in order to know it, to force its secret." . I think this characterizes you to the T. A modern, scientific mind--a well-meaning mind--however an immature, naive, and narcissistic mind. I don't levy these criticisms against you for absolutely no reason, nor do I say these while thinking I'm absolutely clear of flaws myself. God knows how wretched I am, and I struggle with my shortcomings everyday. With that qualification in order, I think you are immature out of the unwarranted rudeness you show me and others. Naive because I don't think you've had the prerequisite experience to support half of what you claim to believe. Narcissistic since you refuse to recognize your own ignorance, and an air of entitlement stemming from your expectation for me to answer to you.

The fact of the matter is that I do not owe you answers. You can ask me questions, and I try to provide an honest answer to the best of my ability. In this particular matter, there are some issues that I'm still working out and I simply haven't formulated a solution quite yet. And still, all the same, it is my prerogative to refuse to answer. Call it cowardice, call it laziness, call it hypocrisy--I already addressed this. I do not wish to share this aspect of my life with you. Take the hint, think as you will, and move on. But from as far as I've been able to tell you haven't be capable of doing so; no, instead you've devolved towards taking little passive-aggressive potshots at me and mine in the general chat. It's left me disappointed, because I expected so much better from you. You're capable of intelligent, sophisticated thought, and to see your resort to this is such a damn waste. You've insisted this is a form of constructive "bullying" on your part; a "masculine" way of getting people back on track. Well, allow me to insist in kind that your bullying isn't winning any hearts and minds, and I'm informed that several of the others have often raised eyebrows to some of the things you have said. So please, reevaluate and reconsider your approach, as you are only beclowning yourself and having the opposite intended effect. If you want people to listen to you, be someone worthy of respect. Respect as a man, in turn, is earned from competence and magnanimity. It isn't extracted from others through shame.

Masculinity is obviously very important to you, something that ought to be valued. I'm entirely in agreement; in fact we have common objectives in that we wish to restore some semblance of pride in masculinity within the hearts of our young men. It's become strikingly apparent that we differ in methodology. That's okay, but I am telling you that your implementations are in desperate need of refinement. My suggestions? Quit shaming guys for demonstrating the tiniest bit of femininity; that is what got us into this crisis of masculinity in the first place. Stop disparaging women for being women; complaining and insulting women is the mark of a pathetic incel. Relax your preoccupation with gender; seeing issues through only one lens makes you blind to the larger picture. These are all suggestions and by no means are you obligated to enact all of them or even some of them. But they are criticisms made in earnest, so please do at least take them into consideration.

Why the hell should I listen to you, 2B? You're not one to lecture about masculinity. This very mindset seems to be in vogue these days and it is worthy of contempt. Races cannot comment on the plight of other races; heterosexuals cannot comment on gay or trans issues; men cannot comment on the experience of women. For all of the preaching of diversity, some on your side of the aisle are very unreceptive towards the input of non-members of the group. Need I remind you that often times it takes a certain feminine influence and charm to remind a man of his masculinity? I am perfectly qualified to remark on matters of masculinity; because you feel threatened by this, I cannot help but feel perhaps you need to work on your own credentials and be less concerned with mine.

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