When you are addressing a patriarch, it is imperative to learn sooner rather than later, that ironic statements of attitudes do not get through to him. There are many reasons why patriarchs are impervious to irony -- I will seek to name just a few.
One of the reasons why patriarchs tend to be quite oblivious to ironic comments is that they have been conditioned to think that you are "just silly". Consequently any witticisms that come their way tend to be viewed as beneath them, rather than over their heads, as is actually the case.
Secondly, the patriarch, stuffed animal that he is, has not been taught the method of survival that all of those he deems inferior have had to learn. He hasn't learned, that is, to double his consciousness, so that he can see both his own perspective as well as the perspective of the other, whilst drawing a link between them. Whereas others have long been adjusted to seeing the patriarch's perspective as well as their own, the patriarch himself is limited to only one point of view -- his own. The problem with this situation is that no ironical perspective can result from this.
So, the patriarch is, as I have suggested, a creature set apart -- existing totally without irony. He is thus one who mistakes his views for being higher than they are. It is all down to the fact that he simply cannot see any other perspective than his own.
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