The Philosophy of The Rules of Stud® *

1. Stud Philosophy
2. Further Delve into Stud Philosophy

The most common word in spoken English is "I". De facto, the subject of many a speaker is him/her self. It's no coincidence that incorporation of these rules is largely targeted at key "I" statements. At this point, you may wonder, "So, what is the problem?"

No blanket statement may be made describing when and where there is a problem. The problem is dynamic and always in a communatative state. It depends on who is speaking and who is listening. Indication of another interpretation of The Rules Of Stud® is touched upon in Observation #2: The Action-Reaction Observation.

Essentially, it starts with a sensitive listener, a listener who recognizes when a speaker is talking about themselves, the manner in which they speak, and what are they saying about themselves. Moreover, a listener who is bothered when someone communicates a testimony of arrogance. The persuasion, nature, and patterns of pomposity are well classified in the rules above.

The original advocate of this philosophy is perhaps relatively over-sensitive to the occasions described above, over-sensitive to the point where what you are presently reading has been generated. Further speculation directs the author towards nature as being the primary agent behind this curious logic. And the natural sensitivity is thought of in terms of a psychological measuring device with an especially receptive needle identified as an internal egometer (see figure 1).

So what's the bottom line? Someone new starts talking, perhaps someone you just met. The gears to a multitude of mental gears start turning. There's a trial and many judgments are made: Does the speaker look good? What kind of mood are they in? Does what they're saying concern you (or your mother)? and finally, Is their choice of words appropriate? and What kind of tone are they using? In other words, is the speaker conducting an exercise in self indulgence? This is monitored closely by the egometer ("stud finder") introduced in the figure. "Stud" can be thought of as a defense mechanism or an auditory device indicating when the egometers needle has taken a reading.

Figure 1: Schematic showing the role of the egometer.

Signals to be monitored are generated at the positive end of the signal generator. They are received be the signal analyzer whose function is to interpret these signals. Ab initio, an egometer is attached to the "circuit" at a junction with the same potential as the signal analyzer. If a signal registers on the egometer it is fed right back into the signal analyzer. The signal is then routed back to the negative terminal of the signal generator.

Let attention be drawn to Antigone, the title of a tragic play written by Sophocles dating back to circa 440 B.C., the plot of which focuses mainly on the actions between characters, Antigone and King Creon. Antigone is the daughter of the famous Oedipus. Creon is the King of Thebes. His role may be classified as that of a hero of tragedy. The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle defined a tragic hero as: A man who has many good qualities but who also has one particular fault or flaw which brings him to destruction in spite of all the good in him. In King Creon's case, his flaw was (as you may suspect) stubborn, overbearing pride.

The setting of the play is the same as that in Oepidus the King, an area before the royal palace, where Oepidus used to be king, at Thebes. Oepidus' two sons, Polyneices and Eteocles dies where upon Creon took over as king by being nearest in kinship. Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other in combat whilst Eteocles defended Thebes from Polyneices' vindictive attack spawned by his own exiling. Creon, as king, then made the decision to have Eteocles buried but to leave Polyneices unburied with no ceremonial rites allowed. The rest of the play centers around this most unpopular decision.

Antigone, one of the two sisters of Eteocles and Polyneices, decides to bury her brother despite the ruling handed down by Creon. Antigone points out that laws pertaining to the dead are set by Zeus, not mortals:

Antigone: "Yes; for it was not Zeus that had published me that edict; 
           not such are the laws set among men by the justice who dwells
           with the gods below...Not through the dread of any human
           pride could I answer to the gods for breaking these 
	   (statues of heaven)"

    Creon: "Yet I would have thee know that o'er stubborn spirits
           are most often humbled...there is no room for pride when
           thou art thy neighbor's slave."

Antigone tries to further her reasoning, observing that it is the job of Hades to render any decision regarding the dead. The dialog continues:

Antigone:  "Nevertheless, Hades desires these rites."

   Creon:  "But the good desires not a like portion with the evil." 

Antigone:  "Who knows but his seems blameless in the world below?" 

   Creon:   "A foe is never a friend - not even in death."

Antigone:   "Tis not my nature to join in hating, but in loving."

   Creon:   "Pass, then, to the world of the dead, and, it thou
             must needs love, love them.  While I live, no woman shall 
	     rule me."

Creon hands down his sentence of execution in a most offensive manner, hence, putting his rule on the level of that of the gods.

       "...Zeus utterly abhors the boasts of a proud tongue",

The next person to raise objection to King Creon's judgment is Haemon, Creon's son and the wife of Antigone. He reasons that popular opinion amongst the city of Thebes lies with Antigone,

  Haemon: "No woman, they say, ever merited her doom less, -none
           ever was to die so shamefully for deeds so glorious as
           hers...deserves not she the meed of golden honour?  Such
           is the darkling rumour that spreads in secret."

Haemon further tries to knock some sense into Creon

  Haemon: "No, though a man be wise, 'tis no shame for him to learn
           many things, and to bend in season."

Creon's stubborn pomposity persists:

   Creon: "Men of my age are we indeed to be schooled, the, by men of
           his?"

Haemon threatens to take his own life if his father insists in handing down his sentence of execution to Antigone. In response, Creon orders that she be put to death right in front of Haemon. Haemon flees in spite, nevertheless, Creon orders Antigone's execution to be carried out.

Finally, Teiresias, the blind prophet, enters the scene with his warnings:

 Teiresias: "Mark that now, once more, thou standest on fate's
             fine edge."

Teiresias has already proven the merit of his prophecy in the past. And yet, Creon's ego is still intercepting the signal of certain doom that Teiresias is sending:

    Creon: "Thou art a wise seer;  but thou lovest evil deeds."

Teiresias: "Then know thou-aye, know it well - that thou shall
            not live through many more courses of the sun's swift 
	    chariot..that he (Creon) may spend his rage on younger
            men, and learn to keep a tongue more remperate, and to
            bear within his breast a better mind than he now bears."

On that note, Teireasias exits, leaving Creon to dwell in his own thoughts. And after further discussion with the leader of the chorus of Theban elders, Creon finally decides that it is best to heed Teiresias' warnings. He then ushers orders that Antigone not be executed. But it is too late. The execution has already taken place. Moreover, Haemon is dead, for he committed suicide after seeing his own wife dead. Yet it doesn't end there. Eurydice, Creon's wife, commits suicide when she hears what happened to Antigone and Haemon! Creon expresses his dismay:

    Creon: "Lead me away, I pray you;  a rash, foolish man;  who
            have slain thee, and my son, unwittingly, and thee, too,
	    my wife - unhappy that I am!"

And the play closes with the o-so-fitting words of wisdom spoken by thr leader of the chorus of Theban elders;

   Leader: "...Great words of prideful men are ever punished by
            great blows, and, in old age, teach the chastened to be
            wise." 

This classic Greek play could not serve to reinforce stud philosophy any better [4]. It is celebrated testimony that stud reflects a notion that dates back to an era so far in the past that it is beyond imagination. And as if that weren't enough, there are even places in the play where stud applies directly. Let us site dialog found in the initial meeting between Antigone and King Creon:

Antigone: "Wouldest thou art do more than take and slay me?"

   Creon: "No more, indeed;  having that, I have all."

The next line could have theoretically been inserted had the Rules O' Stud® been available to Sophocles:

 Antigone:

-------------------------------------------- footnotes

[1] Halliday, David and Robert Resnick. Fundamentals of Physics - Third Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 1988, 84

[2] Antigone by Sophocles. Written circa 440 B.C. Translated by R.C. Jebb

[3] All script quotes have been taken from Antigone by Sophocles. Written circa 440 B.C. Translated by R.C. Jebb

[4] Even the author (of the "Rules") was surprised by this investigation.