A “rule” from [[White, Ken|Ken White]] that says “self-awareness or irony doesn’t change public perception”[^1]. It doesn’t matter why you had sex with a goat, your reasoning will always be overshadowed by the fact that you did it at all. It’s apparently connected to an old Irish pub joke: >An American walks into a bar in somewhere in Ireland and sits next to a really old guy drinking a beer. And the old guy’s like, “Did you see that wall on your way into town?” And the guy’s like, “Yeah.” And the old man’s like, “I built that wall with my own two hands. But do they call me O’Grady the Mason? Noooo.” Then he’s like, “Did you see those cabinets on your way into the bar?” And the guy’s like, “Yeah.” And the old man’s like, “I build those cabinets with me own two hands. But do they call me O’Grady the Carpenter? Noooo.” Then he says, “Did you see the iron gates on the way into town?” And the guy’s like, “Yeah.” And the old man’s like, “I built those gates with me own two hands. But do they call me O’Grady the Smith? Noooo. But you fuck one goat…”[^2] Feels connected to [[{2.6} poe’s law]] in the sense that intention, especially on the internet, doesn’t matter. Your audience will always interpret it how they choose to — including by focusing on goatly escapades instead of the super funny and ironic reason you did it in the first place. [^1]: [Urban Dictionary: The Rule of Goats](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Rule%20of%20Goats) [^2]: [Irish Pub Joke | USC Digital Folklore Archives](https://folklore.usc.edu/irish-pub-joke/)