intelligent debate
I'm trying to figure out how to come up with arguments for things. I was looking at an article about something controversial, the Mozilla CEO who's been recently hired, who had given $1000 to support prop 8 which banned gay marriage in CA, and taking in all the different comments, viewpoints, etc.
It's interesting when my bs meter went off, when I realized people were going off topic, not addressing the situation, completely missing the point, or basically just not having intelligent things to say.
It's taken me a long time to get to this point. For a long time I wasn't sure who to trust -- meaning I trusted everyone and didn't have hardly any critical thinking skills, or at least didn't practice them (more likely I really didn't have anyone to listen to me who gave a damn what I thought) mostly because I didn't feel like I'd fit in anymore if I challenged what I heard. I was not in a position to exercise that freedom. Until I realized that everyone is influenced by something and no one has a background lens free of anything.
But now I do, and it's one thing to argue on the internet with people who don't really care what you think (or about having an intelligent debate period) but just want an outlet to spew their outdated, fear-filled ideas that most people think.
I realized tonight that I don't care to talk about fluff stuff. If there is business at hand, I want to talk business then get on with things and not dilly dally. Of course, if I'm cultivating connections, that's different -- I'll listen and get to know someone. But if it's to do with action, I want enough to be getting on with and then shut the hell up and let me do the job. That's a lot of why I'm finding a lot of my current friends incredible bores. When we get together, they just want to talk. I really don't care to have inane conversations anymore, even if it's about metaphysical stuff. I want to know how they're getting ahead and creating fire in their lives, not how their relationships are flourishing or whatnot.
I have this hot, burning fire within me and it's not going away any time soon.
It's interesting when my bs meter went off, when I realized people were going off topic, not addressing the situation, completely missing the point, or basically just not having intelligent things to say.
It's taken me a long time to get to this point. For a long time I wasn't sure who to trust -- meaning I trusted everyone and didn't have hardly any critical thinking skills, or at least didn't practice them (more likely I really didn't have anyone to listen to me who gave a damn what I thought) mostly because I didn't feel like I'd fit in anymore if I challenged what I heard. I was not in a position to exercise that freedom. Until I realized that everyone is influenced by something and no one has a background lens free of anything.
But now I do, and it's one thing to argue on the internet with people who don't really care what you think (or about having an intelligent debate period) but just want an outlet to spew their outdated, fear-filled ideas that most people think.
I realized tonight that I don't care to talk about fluff stuff. If there is business at hand, I want to talk business then get on with things and not dilly dally. Of course, if I'm cultivating connections, that's different -- I'll listen and get to know someone. But if it's to do with action, I want enough to be getting on with and then shut the hell up and let me do the job. That's a lot of why I'm finding a lot of my current friends incredible bores. When we get together, they just want to talk. I really don't care to have inane conversations anymore, even if it's about metaphysical stuff. I want to know how they're getting ahead and creating fire in their lives, not how their relationships are flourishing or whatnot.
I have this hot, burning fire within me and it's not going away any time soon.