atw: Re: How to Have a Rational Discussion

  • From: "Christine Kent" <cmkentau@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:01:11 +1000

...but seriously...

...there is an issue with talking with the uneducated, I agree.  They lack
training in any kind of logic and do not even consider the possibility of
doing research.

I am on a facebook network with highly politically motivated people who are
largely uneducated. 

First they seem to believe that life is about picking sides.  Persona A has
said A, person B has said B, I like person A better so person A is right.
They follow a leader and buy the entire package sold by that leader.

Second is that they also have what I call a fundamentalist mind set.  Life
to them is about opposing opposites rather than scales of grey, so if, for
example, you argue that there is some form of environmental devastation that
must addressed, they can only respond in terms of for or against AL Gore
style global warming. They cannot perceive the nuances of environmental
destruction and have reduced it to a single black and white issue, global
warming.

In dealing with these people, my mantra now is "research, research,
research". If they say A, I now say "do your research" and give them links
to evidence of B, C and D. They then accuse me of believing B, C or D (even
though they are often contradictory - that is what research is about), and
unfriend me because I am an enemy of their chosen leader and not preaching
the gospel according to A.

That's just how it is... the great dumbing down of humanity.

Christine


-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Christine Kent
Sent: Friday, 29 April 2011 10:44 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: How to Have a Rational Discussion

That fact that it is put out by atheists is a bit of a giveaway. 

-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Janice Gelb
Sent: Friday, 29 April 2011 10:26 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: How to Have a Rational Discussion

On  Apr 29, 2011 10:01AM, Christine Kent wrote:
> Ahhh, but even some intelligent people (like leading edge physicists) 
> know there is more to the world than the 3 dimensional material plane, 
> and that other planes of existence exist and can be perceived.
>
> This is the kindergarten class on flatlanders 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVXV8XB-GPo&feature=fvwrel
>
> ...and this is part 1 of 5 of a stunning BBC documentary on universes 
> with different laws of physics.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-nP4yD1hkk
>
> I would agree with you that these are appropriate rules for meetings 
> held the workplace, and "discussions" (if you can call them that) 
> conducted on Austechwriter, but they are entirely too limiting for 
> informal or personal interactions such as those conducted on FaceBook.
> Do you really want to limit the whole of human experience to what goes 
> on in the 3 dimensional brain?  I don't.
>

I don't think the flowchart is meant to apply to discussions of theoretical
possibilities; more to frustrating discussions of fact that are not possible
due to one side not abiding by simple guidelines that facilitate actual
back-and-forth discussion as opposed to lectures or proselytizing.

-- Janice

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