Okay, thanks, Directorik. I'd read some of his posts, but didn't fully appreciate what I was dealing with. I'll add him to my "Ignore" list with Drongo Bum, Spike, Nate North, Dean Jay, et al.
Feels a bit cowardly to make a list of people unworthy of your respect so long that you have to abbreviate it, when considering the context that none of us is particularly clear on why you deserve the respect you have so generously bestowed upon yourself. Perhaps you have an encyclopedic knowledge of film. Perhaps you have a unique and viable skill that has entertained millions. I'm just noting that it's difficult for any of us to ascertain that, when every post of yours I've read seems to have a singular goal. That goal, from everything I've seen, is simply to inform people that you are a higher caliber individual than others you have encountered. Perhaps that's true but I doubt it. I welcome any evidence you'd care to provide.
One of my skills is pattern recognition intelligence, and it's not always rocket science. For example, have you noticed which segments of the populace have a tendency to announce their superiority to others? It's never really the superior ones is it? Does Joshua Bell make lists of other violinists that he can outperform? It's clear from a number of metrics that he actually can outperform a number of other violinists, and yet for some mysterious reason we have no lists of people from Joshua Bell that he is superior to.
On the other hand we do have groups of people that are constantly explaining, often indirectly or with hit and run tactics, that they, in their own judgment, have eclipsed innumerable others. This crowd has a tendency to consist mostly of uneducated rednecks and academic ideologists.
Of course patterns, statistics, and the like are universally fallible, so you may indeed be a force to be reckoned with. If that is in fact the case, I would simply note that it's curious that you are unwilling or unable to provide any evidence of the achievements that have earned you such a high reputation with yourself. I've personally seen work that ranges from respectable to good from many other people on this form, from you however I have only seen virtue signaling.
If you are in fact so knowledgeable about film, It's curious that you don't know the first rule, it's "Show don't tell". We're all a touch narcissistic, that comes with the territory of the entertainment industry, but for those that work every day at improving ourselves, that feeling of narcissistic superiority quickly fades away as we are exposed again and again to the reality of finished products that objectively do not match our own internal perception of our artistic or intellectual talents.
Put yourself in my shoes. Imagine you meet a boxer. On your first meeting he seems to know quite a bit about the sport. You watch a boxing match together and this guy rarely sees a move in the ring without disparaging the fighter on screen and announcing what that person should have done, with the underlying subtext that this guy is a superior sportsman to the buffoon on the television. You walk away impressed, This person must indeed be skilled when it's clear from his conversation that he is a superior fighter to even competitive professionals. On your second meeting you are anxious to find out when you can see this guy fight in the ring. Surely this must be something to see. His answer surprises you. He doesn't have a match scheduled, he doesn't have training footage, and when you ask if you can go to the gym with him so you can learn how to be great like he is, You find out that he doesn't even have a gym membership. Confused, you ask him for an explanation. He quickly explains that his understanding of boxing is at such an enlightened and elevated level that he would not stoop to dirty his hands with actual competition, and when you press him further, he immediately declares that he is above such conversations.
This pattern is almost a 100% match for individuals who have failed to prove themselves exceptional via any objective metric, and have substituted a subjective metric as a shield behind which they can hide their unrequited ego.
Usually when you see a person that is genuinely superior, they fit a different pattern. They tend to treat others with respect, often when that respect isn't necessarily deserved. This is frequently known as having "class". It occurs naturally when your self respect is genuine.
I can't really say that I'm any better than you are. I fail to live up to my own standards so often that it would be insane to say anything different. But I definitely do one thing better than you do. I build myself up by building myself up, not by putting others down. Seems like such an obvious strategy when you word it correctly.
