I don't have such strong reactions to the concept of service, but the notion that the panelists at a con are there "to serve" seems somehow both self-aggrandizing and falsely humble. I think the two go hand in hand. It's like a star doctor saying he's there to serve, but really thinking how lucky the patient is to have him do the operation--and the patient is thinking it too! So it's kind of fatuous. The subtext is "You're so lucky to have me," and their subtext response is "Oh yes, yes we are!"
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I don't have such strong reactions to the concept of service, but the notion that the panelists at a con are there "to serve" seems somehow both self-aggrandizing and falsely humble. I think the two go hand in hand. It's like a star doctor saying he's there to serve, but really thinking how lucky the patient is to have him do the operation--and the patient is thinking it too! So it's kind of fatuous. The subtext is "You're so lucky to have me," and their subtext response is "Oh yes, yes we are!"