This guy has never met my friends

[pecunium]

Language, however, puts information first and manipulation second. Suppose I were to explain to you Einstein's theory of relativity, or Chomsky's theory of a biologically based language organ. My purposes in giving you the information might well be that of impressing you, or even ultimately mating with you (although anyone who could be induced to mate by such means would have to be pretty weird).

Adam's Tongue Derek Bickerton p. 48

Comments

[con-girl.livejournal.com]

I think that he completely right. We are weird, there's nothing wrong with that, and seduceable by such means. Mr. Bickerton is missing out.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

One of the amusing things is an anecdote he relates of of John Wilkes, who had been a severely scarred smallpox victim, and was a noted rake (being an habitué of the Hellfire Club).

He was asked how managed to be so successful, "Give me half an hour, and I can talk away my face."

[con-girl.livejournal.com]

Talking is good. :) Give me intelligent conversations any day.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

I would not want to meet Wilkes but he did have an awesome wit. He long ago fell out with his erstwhile friend Lord Sandwich. They had a famous interchange:
Lord Sandwich: You, Sir, will die of hanging or the pox.[1]
Sir John: That depends, Sir, on whether I embrace your politics or your mistress.


[1] A reasonable forecast, as it happened.