So recently I've been out of work and spending my days with my dad while my husband and kids are out for the day. As I'm sure many can relate, I love my dad but boy can he piss me off. He's one of those people who has to play the devil's advocate.. he argues just to argue.
This has been a whole new learning experience.. Once you think you're making headway with meditation and regulating your energies you're immediately thrown into test.
With that said you can easily see how I came up my rant for today.
It is so frustrating when I want to convey some information on a topic I've spent days or weeks looking into.
How can I explain this entire mountain of knowledge in 5 minutes?
Not because I want or need them to believe me either but to ensure they have the same facts that I do - So we're on the same playing field. They’re free to make their own decision AFTER they know what I know.
Enter: Weapons of Mass Debating
I dream of the day when I'll have the right weapons to whip out during a heated debate. These tools would sum up all of my hard work with ease and precision.
My Arsenal includes:
- a short 5 minute video compilation featuring all the most influential persons confirming said point
- 2-3 statistic charts or graphs
- a quick power point presentation
- a handout for post education including books, articles, and documentaries to follow up on
Only after I've "Pushed the Button" can we have a real conversation!
and you know what ?
I have that same expectation when the shoes on the other foot!
Show me your arsenal of weaponry.
Give me the research I deserve to know.
Don't push your truths on me.
Show me the data, gimme the sources, articles, books to read and then I build my own truth. This is how it works.
Chances are if the reasoning is there, you are gonna come to the same conclusions as me. I truly believe most people have common morality no matter who/where you are. There are natural laws in our universe and when sane, sovereign, good people look at the same facts then almost always come to the same conclusions - especially on moral issues.
These Weapons of Mass Debating can change the world!
Imagine a time when we each can share our well-earned knowledge, our harvested truths, and merge them together for the sake of education. If people would take the time to forge their weapons - they'd appreciate the knowledge the take in, they'd take time to truly understand those beliefs they gobble down presently.
People may even end up more willing to change their weaponry to newer, updated, better working models if they understood the importance in the first place.
Just a thought for today - my 20 minutes is way up!
It is usually during periods when I am very productive (but not 'employed' and paid to do so) that I wonder about the real meaning/value of 'work'... especially when I work on projects that involve a lot of money and people but not much output in the end, and you wonder what the purpose of it was - but that's for another day/debate.
I think the closest thing I have seen to what you are talking about would be the kialo graphs/trees that I found out about from another steemit user. Personally I think debates are just a form of communication for people to exchange ideas, but in the online world it seems to get a lot more personal than it really needs to be. If you are interested, www.kialo.com is where you can go and see how some of those debates are constructed and dissected :)
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ahh yes, @plushzilla I know exactly what you mean - I find myself contemplating the meaning/value of 'work' a LOT lol
thanks for the link I will definitely check it out for curiosity's sake. I don't usually like debates I just get sucked into them lol thanks for reading my post :)
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LOL @amariespeaks, I like the WMD theme here :)
(My 2p's worth): In my experience, providing supporting materials and solid, illustrated arguments, works when the emotional body has not been triggered as such (in either interlocutor). If it has, then reason and logic are out of the window and what is under discussion is something other than the overtly stated subject, rendering proofs irrelevant to perception, and triggering internal resistance. This resistance is different from, and nothing much to do with the topic of discussion (personal vs impersonal). This can be frustrating on both sides and often difficult to pin-point (esp when triggered!)...I have certainly, myself, been closed to such demonstrations of logical points in the past - my state then would've been variously anger, sadness/self-pity, confusion, insecurity etc etc, and this swirling self-refective state would dilute any real engagement with the subject at hand, or how it was being presented - I guess I just wasn't fully present on those occasions (ask my ex-wife, or my mum :).
Also, at a subtle level, the energy of trying to convince carries a lot of triggers for sensitive people - comes across as control (and automatically triggers a resistance response), IMO. This leads to a further choice - insist on being right (fight); or see that it is not about you or your 'subject' (compassion).
That said, I'm not sure how this might apply to someone playing Devil's advocate :), and umm, the closness of the life-long relationship would suggest (to my mind) that there may also be elements of conditioning, and the playout of learned/habitual family emotional patterns and energies here (??).
Lastly, Jiddu Krishnamurti described the difference between a 'debate' and an 'enquiry' a bit like this: a debate is between (two) parties who are right, and are trying to convince the other. Each party 'knows' that they are right. An enquiry is between (two) parties whose starting point is 'I don't know, let's find out'. IMO, one approach seems more open to knowledge sharing and advancement than the other!
I also agree completely with what you say:
Namaste
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thank you for your wonderful comment! I have to say, I know exactly what you mean about trying to convince people.. I've tried to come abandon this intention completely. and you're so right about debates triggering people and it turns in an emotional argument that is not even about the actual topics. I finally understand that people's reactions are more about how they think and feel than anything else.
It's freeing to realize you can never make anyone think anything :) love the Krishnamurti thought too. thank you for that!
Namaste my friend :)
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I've mentioned before that I remind myself daily:- 'The ability to be free is the ability to grant others the ability to be free.'
Their arguments do not persuade you¿ Your angst is aroused; perhaps you are wrong you ask yourself, a doubt¿ Your emotional response raises the angst of you both further. Are they wrong¿ Am I wrong¿ No, I am correct, I will just pressure my beliefs to look like facts, and he will, believe. Oh, no, he replies in like manner. The volume increases. My persuasion isn't working, but I know I'm Right!
--ability:- the power or capacity to do something.
--be:- verb (sing.present am; are; is; pl.present are; 1st and 3rd sing.past was; 2nd sing.past subjunctive were; present part. being; past part been)
--free:- adjective (freer, freest) 1.able to do what one wants; not under the control of anyone else 2. not confined, obstructed, or fixed et.c
--grant:-verb 1. agree to give something to someone or allow them to do something.
•
--So, where is the argument [heated exchange of conflicting views]? Once one has said one's point, and possibly responded to a differ by explaining one's reasons, then it's over. If they are adult, they might agree to differ, or reflect on and possibly agree with your reasons, or possibly reflect on and disagree, with their causes lined up. If you are adult and listen to their reasons for differing, you might find an agreement or cause to disagree, but throughout, the rendering of opinion and fact, the point of view of each will very rarely change if emotion is entered into by either party. Emotion is about feelings, and however one swears, facts are put aside to opinions within emotion. Time is often needed for persuasion, because the reasons must be pondered and reflected upon in each their own manner. So truth is always the root from which the tree grows and very often the fruit shown one, has been too long from the tree and no longer has relevant truth within.
--Turquoise colour is blue, no¿ turquoise colour is green¿ Ok, That is the blue of a Mexican stone of Turquoise and That is the Teal or sea blue of a summer sky reflected on white sand. People will see what they see, and your pointing out incorrectness, is your own inner censor deciding what you believe. We can allow others the ability to be free, easily, once we stop using such words in our inner dialogue as should, must, et.c, especially trying to impose those words upon others. One has plenty enough to do working on one's own balance. Changing the outside world happens, as much as one changes one's own inner world.
Keep on keeping on. 😇
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ahhh yes, an there is the struggle LOL life is a learning process - more than I ever allowed myself to imagine before. Now as I get older and understand more I'm realizing it is truly only about that inner dialogue you have with yourself.
This is my newest Mt. Everest - I'm making the climb and starting to gain a new view.. Your World is exactly how You Perceive it, you and you alone. What you think/feel/believe is then reflected back at you... However knowing is only the beginning - the true struggle is in the application ;-)
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😉
Hints for Subconscious Command. #0193 first, then '94,'97. Create one's own lesson on a CD for playback when driving. Important to pick upbeat music for mask, as that engages the frontal lobe, and you sing or tap, along. The commands one gives oneself are not heard aloud, but just beneath the outer noise. For a good laugh, go bathroom alone, and look at self in the eye and use these commands with different faces. Crack up 😂
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LOL oh boy! now I'm gonna have to try this out haha
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Enjoy yourself! 😇
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