It is, of course, delightful to hear that Ishmael had such a beneficent effect on you. Seldom have I heard its impact described in such terms.

I can understand your seeing the polarity between Leavers and Takers as a metaphor for the polarity in our psyches between conformity and spontaneity, but I personally can’t take it as more than a metaphor. There are, after all, plenty of Takers who are capable of “spontaneous emotional expression, sexual passion, empathy for ‘abnormal’ people, and childish joy.”

I just can’t think that these things are somehow exclusive to Leaver peoples, though I agree that they’re probably more readily found among them.

ID: 666
posted:
updated: 11 Nov 2003