>> "So...Let he who is never a schmo be the
>> first to pick up the stone and throw."

>If you've ever been a schmo who better to cast the
>first stone. He's been there, learned from it, and
>has something to say, and I'm making a huge assumption
>he could be objective... pointing out the good and the
>bad. (Middle class average people)

Thank you for the attention given to my re-deployment of a popular phrase. I give you the same respectful treatment for your trouble.

First off, I used present tense, not past. People who continually (present tense) live out contradictions (like everyone I know) are unable to guide others from the realm of schmoism. Like the saying, "Remove the plank from your own eye so you can see clearly to remove the speck from someone else's."

The rest of your discourse was reminiscent of an ancient Greek philosophy paper I read once about "The True Cynic" by a fellow named Diogenes. I found a relevant link, http://www.i-cynic.com/whatis.asp, but did not see the actual essay to which I refer. Interestingly, Diogenes found that a "true cynic" avoided the extremes you mentioned, even willing to stay and suffer forms of insult and abuse himself, that after pointing out the folly, that he might disabuse the simple of their idle notions, and nurturingly guide his fellow man away from schmoism.

Similar to what you said, so yes, if a schmo (past tense) becomes an ex-schmo, perhaps he has something helpful to say.

What is even more interesting, Matt seems to exhibit these qualities of a "true cynic" in that he will stick out his neck to even try to counsel jerks like The Hutch.