I find it exceedingly amusing when people say what they aren't going to do
and then before you can blink they go ahead and do it. I've been guilty of
that myself many a time. May we all be aware of this tendency and strive to
avoid it.

Example #1 (from a msg. in our archive): "Not to be argumentative, but I
don't agree with ...[followed by several paragraphs of argument]"

Example #2 (Another classic example that you often read or hear people say):
"With all due respect, . [followed immediately by something disrespectful]".

There are two good solutions to avoid the trap in the examples.

Solution #1: Say what you mean, and then make sure that you follow through.
On the next sentence especially. If you contradict yourself a few pages
later many readers won't catch it and you would have gotten away with it.
But most people will smell something fishy if the contradiction comes on
the next sentence.

Solution #2: If you find that the second sentence fully contradicts what you
just wrote in the preceding sentence, revise the first sentence so it is
logically consistent with the 2nd sentence.

The wrong way to do it:

Example #3: "I know this is a pali list and I don't want to get off topic,
but. [and then immediately proceeds to go off topic extensively]."

A correct but sneaky way to do it: (not recommended)

"I know this is a pali list, and even though I just spent the last 5 pages
being completely off topic, I have a question. How do you spell "metta"? Is
it "Mettaa" or "metta"? I've seen it spelled both ways. Do they mean the
same thing?

A correct way but lacking Metta : (not recommended)

"I know this is a pali list, and what I'm about to say is long and off
topic. But you're going to sit there, read it, and like it. Or not. You know
where the delete key is. It's a free country."

One correct way to do it using solution #1:

"I know this is a pali list, so pardon me for veering off topic, but I
assure you it does bear some relevance to the list and any pain it causes
will hopefully be of short duration."

-fk











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