“I… don’t know that I do think of myself that way. I’ve probably done more damage than good, by trying to help others.” Dinah, the people in my territory, now Brian.
I considered bringing up the idea that Taylor might not think of herself that way in the last post, but the philosophy took precedence.
But speaking of philosophy, this is one of the major recurring differences between me and Taylor. She operates on a philosophy of consequence, while I operate on a philosophy of intent, and as a result we frequently disagree on what she’s to blame for.
Also this totally counts as her blaming herself for what happened to Brian. I knew we’d get there eventually! 😛
“But your intentions were good, then? You were trying to help?”
Oh fuck, is Amy going to be the mouthpiece for my take on these things?
I think Amy had already cemented herself subtly as my favorite “hero” (in the sense of hero vs villain rather than protagonist vs antagonist), and this certainly doesn’t hurt on that front.
This is something Taylor has needed to be told for quite a while. It’s about time the things I’ve been telling her found an Amy-shaped hole to seep in through.
I do wonder what Wildbow’s stance is. The story is unofficially subtitled as “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”, isn’t it, but while that fits Taylor’s story, how much does that reflect what Wildbow is trying to communicate? I sometimes see Taylor as a cautionary tale, but is her story cautioning against philosophies of intent as much as it’s cautioning against the psychological results of focusing too much on a philosophy of consequence?
In other words, would Wildbow side with Taylor or with some of the various characters who oppose her philosophy?
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