What are you doing right now?

[EndOfTheEarth]

Besides posting on here and replying to this thread. Original credit for this goes back to Fate and Nathan on MX.

[Contradiction]

Naw, that sounds like appropriate intensity.

Why do things like this make me so fucking angry?

Calm, Contra, calm...

[Ovie! Ovie! Ovie! Oy! Oy! Oy!]

Because he's a moron?
Also all those people who seem to think he has the right idea?

[Contradiction]

A pompous, arrogant moron who thinks that human emotion can simply be conformed through his idiotic notion of "proper etiquette."

Indeed.

Let's just say, thank god I;m not a perspective partner for you.

^I was thinking that when I read through. Like, "fuck, I'd hate to be your girlfriend."

[Xuut]

I say, let's put him in a tub of bleach and keep him down with rusty nails.

[nathan_p]

Yo, I don't have an account... can you c/p the text or cap it or something? I'm intrigued, but not that intrigued.

[Contradiction]

I think when you give a gift, it should always be done freely, sincerely, with no strings attached. Anything other than that is not a gift, but a potential tool for conflict. I don’t think receiving a gift should cost the recipient anything, including not just monetarily, but physically or emotionally, etc. I also think the person giving the gift holds all responsibility for considering the effect(s) the gift could cause. The gift should bring nothing, but joy to the recipient. In this case, all those responsibilities would belong to Jacob and not Bella or Edward.

Bella is not just dating Edward, she is “unconditionally and irrevocably” in love with Edward. Love does not hurt the person they love. I think Bella would not and should not refuse to add a charm and MUST add the charm because she does love Edward. The suggestion that another man (and in this case, one who has declared his love and intention to break Bella and Edward’s relationship up) holds equal or more importance to Edward’s, sends a bad/wrong message and denounces the importance of their committed relationship on Bella‘s part. Bella must welcome any addition from Edward or take the bracelet off. The bracelet for Bella should not be about how Jacob feels, but about how Edward feels. I say that because of the animosity she knows exist between them. There is nothing Edward can do here that I would define as wrong out side of destroying the gift. I think he has the right to ask/expect a charm there and he would also have the right to ask her not to wear it. Love does not offend and tries not to be offensive. So I can not see Edward ever asking her to remove it for his sake, because he always places her happiness above his needs, but he does have the right to ask. The fact that he can and does not makes him all the more gracious in my opinion. So as I see it, if Jacob loves Bella, he would not put her in a position that could cause her conflict or pain, by expecting her to hurt Edward via his gift. If Bella loves Edward, she would not allow a present to hurt him and so try to remedy negative effects, and if Edward loves Bella, he would endure the gift. From what I read, everyone fulfilled their roles as I see them, just fine.

I did grab my etiquette book on the subject, which did support my thinking in general and more. I learned that if you want to gift a friend of the opposite gender, who is in a committed relationship, you must ask permission from their significant other. It shows acknowledgement and respect for their commitment.

[nathan_p]

...that actively gave me a headache, but thanks.

(Gifts are gifts, wtf.)

[Contradiction]

Wait, why? D:

[nathan_p]

Sense it makes none :C

[Contradiction]

Because the guy who posted it is an imbecile has illogical views?

Or because you haven't read that far into Twilight?

[nathan_p]

The writing style is a trip and a half.

Technically I read most of the books (gave up halfway through Eclipse, fuck that), but I don't remember fuck.

[EndOfTheEarth]

Huh...
The gift-giving system seems logical enough, and the argument within my limited knowledge seems valid, possibly even sound (i.e. I haven't read Twilight, so I'm making a judgment call as if this were an isolated incident, separate of any plot).

I'll admit though that this highlights a glaring fallacy in Meyer's own writing. She intends her audience to think one thing (based off of Bella's bias) but the actions taken by the characters seem to be oddly disjointed, as if it were a separate book entirely; the actions and feelings don't seem to match.

If any of you could give me some background to work with, to see why this is supposedly unsound, I'd like to hear it.