Evil Emails vs. Modesty

A diagnostic by example

(No en Español)

What kind of social restraint failed for the people harmed by the events which the notorious emails give us only a glimpse of? Privacy? Shame? Limits? Modesty?

In a better world, these emails would not exist, and the people mentioned would be neither famous nor powerful. Since they interest us, we should use them properly, as a record of evil and how it happens.¹

Unfortunately, because of the way modesty works, moral clarity cannot be achieved only by the following popular reactions to immodesty.

Tell us who did it!

Call them out!

Label what they did as evil!

You now know why all names are omitted from this post. Silence and restraint are a form of internal discipline. They limit the self before they limit others.

You will see the lack of modesty in these excerpts. The hope is that the absence of my action will provide a space for moral evaluation to exist — without blaming, externalizing, anger, or fear.²

Technicalities: At first, I planned to quote everything directly. I ended up referencing documents by the number in the bottom right corner. ##### means a word or concept I do not wish to post on my blog was deleted. … means something was clipped in between. Modesty isn't about hiding the facts, and so the quotes are here for you to read.

Of course, making a spectacle of immodesty makes the situation much worse. We don't want to do that!

What we want in modesty is that it should be spontaneous and originate internally. Keeping this in mind, I searched through the files released by the Department of Justice for the word modest.

Strangely, the word modest is deployed 1,222 times in these emails! (Modesty, by comparison, appears only 3 times, as someone's fake name). You see the word modest functioning as a cover up — to hide a real lack of restraint, of modesty!

True modesty is quiet, and it limits our actions within ourselves and our society. It is not a way to justify our actions or our society or to market virtue.

When modesty disappears, it is replaced by a lack of acceptance of limits within the world around you. An immodest belief might go something like this:

If you can do something, you may.

If others are harmed, confused, displaced, or destroyed along the way, that collateral damage can be justified.

The best people are the ones with the most externally visible power.

Once power becomes a moral good, we stop using language to describe ourv limited reality, and instead use it to insulate ourselves from the reality of our frail existence. Even the very word modest.

In these emails, the word modest is used to make actions feel smaller, purer, more reasonable, more justified, and as a hedge to shield from criticism. It is all about the optics. It reminds us that being able to justify something is not the same as being allowed to do it.

Therefore, this post will not reveal any scandal or implicate anyone in particular. It is my effort to observe the word modest being used by those with immodest morals. It is a reminder that anything, including modesty, can be misused.

What kind of people, systems, and actions flourish when modesty disappears as a cultural moral value? When nothing inside their conscience, or outside in their culture, says “ENOUGH”?

Read it, and weep for our world.

Evil Emails vs. Modesty

"A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions." - Confucius

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00390148.pdf

I haven't had a chance to return to this thread, but I was thinking that a retreat to understand deception is too modest a goal for this group. How about the more ambitious goal of building a brain? Then your interest in deception becomes a testable subsystem of the brain-building project.

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01753311.pdf

all at modest prices.

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00352252.pdf

He was suitably modest when I told him of your compliment!
… he is actively seeking high net worth individuals for his Private Bank. Perhaps this is an avenue for your undecided Chinese?
And he agrees that the concentration should be on who pays whom and when! Great to see you hope Paris is fun....

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I firmly acknowledge that if I had the chance to do things in the past differently , I would hopefully show better judgement. I have since paid my debt to society as desribed by law .I have continued full steam ahead with my science philanthropy , in a modest attempt to make the world a better place. I have previously asked and received forgiveness from my family and friends and would hope that others would show similar compassion. I firmly acknowledge that if I had the chance to go back in time , I would like to believe that I would hopefully show better judgement. I have since paid my debt to society of now decade -old crimes , as described by law .( having served the exact same time to the day , 13 months , as every other inmate sentenced to 18 months in jail ) and resolving all civil claims. I have since, continued full steam ahead in keeping with my long established history of finding cutting edge science . This ,in a very modest attempt to make the world a better place. I have previously asked and received forgiveness from my family and friends and would hope that others would show similar compassion. . I have made peace with my god, and would only hope that
others would find peace with theirs.

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FAMILY: WIDOW'S MODEST LIFE
The 80-year-old lives in a modest flat in Pimlico, south London.
Alter initially defending her husband's memory, redacted by IYH now acknowledges his faults but says he was corrupted by power.

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Subject: Fwd: CONFIDENTIAL

I can prepare an invoice for July — the hours were modest

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in Florida
am in Ft Lauderdale, have found a modest apartment, which i will furnish and occupy on Monday

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Since you're telephone attention span is rather modest :)

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rent is 8 grand, i would like to eat, have a modest social life

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I assume you are refreshed today after your period of repentance and prayer yesterday. So, how do you feel about Bob now? Remember, there is a clear difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. And retribution is another thing entirely. Personally, I still prefer good old fashioned revenge, mostly because I get to dispense it, even though I know it almost always comes with another cost. ####, that brings us back to that pesky "afflict our souls" #### of Yom Kippur! Disregard this entire communication.

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Jeffrey if you remember your Roman history the moral character preceededthe political fall,lf we are watching shows like ############ and housewives of wherever in the next decade the Chinese and Indians are going to rule the world as we sit by watching ######### very sad

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Subject: Change of Verbs

Surprised was the wrong word. Disappointed was the right word. I thought you were enthusiastic about this and that you were going to be a real participant and that it would be something fun to do together. Of course I respect your decision and I understand your discomfort with the structure (though I would not think that alone would deter you). I have PLENTY of demand so it's not about the money (and believe me, if I needed the money, I would come to you and ask in a heart beat and I know you would help me), but I had a 'fantasy' I guess about your being in this in some special capacity. I really don't want to compel you into anything but, in a moment of uncharacteristic affection, I am wondering if you might not reconsider even at a 5%-10% level. Something will likely come of it and it would make me happy (which is what you're all about anyway, right)? Again, absolutely no hard feelings or pressure if you still elect to demure, but I so enjoy our banter, your thoughts, and our idea exchanges, I find you most deeply engaged when you have vested interest. So, if it's still no, then it's no and I shall not
raise it again. But do reconsider at the more modest level.

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Great trouble was taken on both sides to achieve the illusion of a spontaneous conversation.

…

The fact that since my youth-- 1 was 19 when I left Russia-- my political creed has remained as bleak and
changeless as an old gray rock. It is classical to the point of triteness. Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of art. The social or economic structure of the ideal state is of little concern to me. My desires are modest. Portraits of the
head of the government should not exceed a postage stamp in size. No torture and no executions. No music, except coming through earphones, or played in theaters.

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I think it's extremely likely that the numbers involved would be very modest per victim, and potentially result in the U.S. retaining tens of millions of dollars rather than it going to the victims.

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I thought I'd attempt a modest return of the kindness by providing you my thoughts on our conversation. These thoughts are tailored , less like your bed sheets , but more like a bath towel. more warm encompassing and hopefully functional.

I thought i might share some of my past experiences with some of the worlds most interesting thinkers

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Most were assassinated by relatives and the tradition was that you had to renounce when your kid was 13. So as I have always thought, my issues are modest.

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As someone who exemplifies disobedience as an instrument of change I =nvite you to join our 2016 Disobedience Award selection committee. With =our help we will choose the recipient of the prize for the most =ourageous act of disobedience over the past year. The time commitment =ill be modest:

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What I was going to say is I have often said to someone like her---look, I am no prophet but if you ask me you will never be a star. So you have two choices I you can prove me wrong and do so pretty quickly or 2 stick to the profession , but in that case know that you should only choose a profession if you are prepared to be content to do the most modest tasks that profession permits: teaching math not doing it, having a local law practice not being on the Supreme Court; writing advertising copy not editing the New Yorker: being a local doc not a big shot at Hopkins being an accountant not ##########. In other words choose a profession because you love it not because you are gambling to be famous. A great musician is compelled to think music and live it---add ambition and you have something. Without the ambition you still have something. She has some talent no real fanatical passion but Hollywood style outsized ambition.

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not quite the Huffington Post piece you urged on me, but still some very modest progress !

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I think that you were being modest with me when you said that you're=only a part time model.

Your beauty is quite remarkable. I know that I'm n=t supposed to say things like that since it breaks many rules, but oh well, sometimes rules should be broken.

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Related:

1.

2. Yes, I typed in that em-dash.