If you want a real discussion but your topic is controversial Google Plus is not the venue because intelligent people will not discuss a controversial topic without picking sides, and sometimes using methods of argument that will soon bring the topic to a close, often within minutes.
It appears that controversial topics tend to lead people to pick sides, which is deadly to sustaining discussing a topic and determines its expiry date, be it almost immediately or a few days later.
Once a person picks sides, you can expect the discussion to heat up as long as both sides think they are right.
From my position as a fence-sitter, I eventually realize that both sides are right but tend to deviate from remaining calm and rational due to emotional investment in their cause. YMMV
Yet an intelligent arguer tries not to pick a side because doing so will blind you to the other side's position.
Even though it is natural to be biased, it is limits one's choices to pick a side.
It makes one ignorant of the other side of the argument, depending on how much you invest in defence of your position.
Dare I say, picking sides makes one look dumb.
I feel that this is why in political elections, there are people who will never vote mainly because they are too intelligent to be sucked in by propaganda.
For the emotional fallacies that propaganda uses to influence politics is obvious to the intelligent sheep in the wolf's clothing of critical thinking.
This is why a truly intelligent person will not pick sides in a discussion about a controversial topic, lest he become a wolf in sheep's clothing.
For there is danger in picking sides: you become a part of the pack (the pro or con group) rather than a part of humanity (both sides).
Once you are a part of a pack, it is tempting to lead it and become that wolf.
If anyone dares to question your authority, then you will lead sheep to slaughter to defend it whilst hiding behind pro or con.
This is why most intelligent people will walk away from a controversy.
For they have better things to do with their mind, like meditate.
Originally published: August 25, 2013 6:27 AM
Showing posts with label critical thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critical thinking. Show all posts
20121221
To The Critical Feminist
If you're a feminist who supports critical thinking, then you should check out CAFE, rather than listening to your activist sisters propagate misinformation.
When a group uses hate speech to censor a person out of ignorance, it makes the ideology it represents look bad.
So if you consider yourself an intelligent feminist, then it's recommended you inform yourself about whoever you are protesting against so you don't act out of ignorance.
As far as I can tell from the UTSU's Facebook page, they outdid themselves in using hate speech, and acted out of ignorance to violate the University of Toronto's code of conduct.
Then they objected to being harassed and vilified online.
How then is feminism going to help free women of colour from oppression if they resort to the same tactics they accuse men of?
When a group uses hate speech to censor a person out of ignorance, it makes the ideology it represents look bad.
So if you consider yourself an intelligent feminist, then it's recommended you inform yourself about whoever you are protesting against so you don't act out of ignorance.
As far as I can tell from the UTSU's Facebook page, they outdid themselves in using hate speech, and acted out of ignorance to violate the University of Toronto's code of conduct.
Then they objected to being harassed and vilified online.
How then is feminism going to help free women of colour from oppression if they resort to the same tactics they accuse men of?
20121218
Mental illness Stigma Kills Discussion in Light of Recent Shootings
First it started with Marc Lepine, the Columbine school shooting, Kimveer Gill's spree at Dawson College in Montreal, the Theatre shooting by a gifted grad student, and now 20-yea old Adam Lanza killing little kids in a school in Newtown, Ct.
Throughout it all, while there has been call for open dialogue about mental illness, all the pundits have avoided such discussion and focused on gun control without serious discussion of the real problem.
Every time I bring it up, though I get a + for my effort, nothing but silence descends.
So it's up to me to mention it every time it's brought up and do so repeatedly, emphasizing that guns are not the problem here; mental illness is.
Yes, folks, being crazy or nuts is the big problem, and it begins in kindergarten.
That's when tomorrow's killer is weaned out, pumped full of drugs, and manufactured into a torture soul who kills, because of the social ostracism caused by children with behavior problems, tha autistic savant, the fidgety child with ADHD, and a handful of psychotic children, victims of abuse trying to cast a light on mental illness.
Later, medication fits into this scenario because schools are models of control, discipline and order. If Johnny asks the wrong question or worse, acts out, then it's off to the school psychologist to see if he needs medicated into submission.
Then his parents are given the medication propaganda before relenting and accepting the medication for his son, when the problem is, school have abandoned the Socratic method of teaching for academic streaming of students, fit for university but often incapable of critical thinking i.e. reflective thinking that befits a student of meditation.
Cut back to the Newtown school shooter: was he on Prozac and over-prescribed? Was his mother a good mother? Did this school have a problem with him when he was going to it?
Throughout it all, while there has been call for open dialogue about mental illness, all the pundits have avoided such discussion and focused on gun control without serious discussion of the real problem.
Every time I bring it up, though I get a + for my effort, nothing but silence descends.
So it's up to me to mention it every time it's brought up and do so repeatedly, emphasizing that guns are not the problem here; mental illness is.
Yes, folks, being crazy or nuts is the big problem, and it begins in kindergarten.
That's when tomorrow's killer is weaned out, pumped full of drugs, and manufactured into a torture soul who kills, because of the social ostracism caused by children with behavior problems, tha autistic savant, the fidgety child with ADHD, and a handful of psychotic children, victims of abuse trying to cast a light on mental illness.
Later, medication fits into this scenario because schools are models of control, discipline and order. If Johnny asks the wrong question or worse, acts out, then it's off to the school psychologist to see if he needs medicated into submission.
Then his parents are given the medication propaganda before relenting and accepting the medication for his son, when the problem is, school have abandoned the Socratic method of teaching for academic streaming of students, fit for university but often incapable of critical thinking i.e. reflective thinking that befits a student of meditation.
Cut back to the Newtown school shooter: was he on Prozac and over-prescribed? Was his mother a good mother? Did this school have a problem with him when he was going to it?
20110812
Blog to Write "It" Out
"It" refers to my thoughts and opinions, with careful consideration of what I write.
I enjoy going back to edit my blog until what I write feels true to me — usually closer to reason than gut feeling, though sometimes with a mix of rational and emotive thought when necessary.
Yet I prepare my thoughts before I put my feelings out.
For blogging isn't a daily process at the moment because a life solely lived on the Internet lacks the inspiration that interaction with people in real life brings.
While that's my opinion, we are all free to chose how we manage our lives, accordingly.
Though there is more to life than living on the Internet.
Every time I step out of my home, I savour every moment away as much as I do when returning home.
Writing a blog entry helps me to express my thoughts, and explore my feelings in a way which is more public than my private journal entries.
Although public opinion requires appropriate content, much of my private writing will not be exposed in this blog so as to preserve my peace of mind.
For self-disclosure of matters best left private has often been unsettling, and sometimes embarrassing to me.
Sometimes I even dread reading this blog after staying late the previous night, least I discover that one of my posts of the previous day contains something which might come back to haunt me.
That's easily solved by going to bed at a decent time, coupled with thinking long and hard about what I wish to write helps me to rest comfortably.
That blogging has helped me become aware of the difference between self and other is why I keep blogging.
If I wish to be helpful to others through this blog, then it's by expressing myself thoughtfully and with careful consideration of the fact that other people may be reading it.
Yes, I am careful about my choice of words when blogging, and admit to some self-censorship.
Other times, though, when the topic is abuse and violence, I will express my feelings strongly.
Life is too precious to wish the worst happened to other people — if I had done so in this blog, then I will find that entry and having regretted writing it, edit or delete it, depending on how I presently feel about the content I'd been writing.
If that's called being inconsistent, then I am guilty of it. If in the past I wrote something that insults someone or makes light of tragedy, then when I find it, I'll edit it to remain consistent with good taste. If this is self-censorship, so be it.
While that may sound politically correct, this blog would not be online long were I to step outside the boundaries of common sense.
With careful preparation, I like to blog to write it out — my thoughts and feelings about myself and others.
I enjoy going back to edit my blog until what I write feels true to me — usually closer to reason than gut feeling, though sometimes with a mix of rational and emotive thought when necessary.
Yet I prepare my thoughts before I put my feelings out.
For blogging isn't a daily process at the moment because a life solely lived on the Internet lacks the inspiration that interaction with people in real life brings.
While that's my opinion, we are all free to chose how we manage our lives, accordingly.
Though there is more to life than living on the Internet.
Every time I step out of my home, I savour every moment away as much as I do when returning home.
Writing a blog entry helps me to express my thoughts, and explore my feelings in a way which is more public than my private journal entries.
Although public opinion requires appropriate content, much of my private writing will not be exposed in this blog so as to preserve my peace of mind.
For self-disclosure of matters best left private has often been unsettling, and sometimes embarrassing to me.
Sometimes I even dread reading this blog after staying late the previous night, least I discover that one of my posts of the previous day contains something which might come back to haunt me.
That's easily solved by going to bed at a decent time, coupled with thinking long and hard about what I wish to write helps me to rest comfortably.
That blogging has helped me become aware of the difference between self and other is why I keep blogging.
If I wish to be helpful to others through this blog, then it's by expressing myself thoughtfully and with careful consideration of the fact that other people may be reading it.
Yes, I am careful about my choice of words when blogging, and admit to some self-censorship.
Other times, though, when the topic is abuse and violence, I will express my feelings strongly.
Life is too precious to wish the worst happened to other people — if I had done so in this blog, then I will find that entry and having regretted writing it, edit or delete it, depending on how I presently feel about the content I'd been writing.
If that's called being inconsistent, then I am guilty of it. If in the past I wrote something that insults someone or makes light of tragedy, then when I find it, I'll edit it to remain consistent with good taste. If this is self-censorship, so be it.
While that may sound politically correct, this blog would not be online long were I to step outside the boundaries of common sense.
With careful preparation, I like to blog to write it out — my thoughts and feelings about myself and others.
20110630
Just Thinking
"Cogito ergo sum" does not prove a person's existence.
"I think, therefore I am" assumes that thinking of a thought leads to existence of that thought.
For thought is of the mind, and the mind the reality of the brain.
Thinking only proves the existence of the mind.
"I think, therefore I am" assumes that thinking of a thought leads to existence of that thought.
For thought is of the mind, and the mind the reality of the brain.
Thinking only proves the existence of the mind.
20110529
Self Therapy using This Be the Verse
Commentary:
The last line of the final stanza reminds me of what my mom used to tell me as an adult.
My take on this poem is that it talks about the dark side of tradition and culture i.e. learning the faults of my parents by example.
Yet just as I may learn those faults by example, I too also am able to learn how to accept, and later correct the ones which need correcting, by identifying the character defects which constitute each fault.
For me, this consists of applying the tips learned from an effective 12-Step program (especially reading the Big Book of AA and the 12x12, as well as keeping a journal, with the goal of identifying each character defect which needs correction.
Meditation helps me in achieving this endeavor by opening my mind up to new insights about myself.
Reference:
This Be the Verse
20071229
Happy New Years !
All my prayers go out to everyone, regardless of religious affiliations or lack thereof.
May your new year lead to revelations that cause you to avoid basing your life on the usual lies and propaganda that you currently believe to be truth and good news.
You know who I am talking about: the news media, whose sole purpose is to edutain you with myths about this post-modern world against the background musak of post-modern pop.
In the new year I plan to talk more freely about this threat to human creativity.
For now, turn off your TV and go out Boxing Week to pick up a couple CDs on classical music, which is free, free of propaganda especially advertising and marketing of consumer products.
May we all develop critical thinking so that we may protect our hearts from ignorance!
May your new year lead to revelations that cause you to avoid basing your life on the usual lies and propaganda that you currently believe to be truth and good news.
You know who I am talking about: the news media, whose sole purpose is to edutain you with myths about this post-modern world against the background musak of post-modern pop.
In the new year I plan to talk more freely about this threat to human creativity.
For now, turn off your TV and go out Boxing Week to pick up a couple CDs on classical music, which is free, free of propaganda especially advertising and marketing of consumer products.
May we all develop critical thinking so that we may protect our hearts from ignorance!
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