3-26-2001

The art of conversing and interacting with other people can hardly be taught as a formal subject. Certainly, you can learn Verbal Judo and debating. But the formal studies are for the purpose of teaching YOU how to "take charge" and "be in control" of the "conversation". This is not much fun for the other person. In fact, the object is to manipulate or CONTROL the other person.

How much do YOU enjoy a "conversation" with a hypochondriac? Or someone who is so self-centered that all he can talk about is himself? Or the meaningless "How ya been doin?- Fine, and you?".

Is this "conversation"? I don't think so.

To reach out to someone for a worth-while conversation, you broach a subject and point out what the "expert" protagonists and antagonists have said about it. You may state your thoughts on the subject.

Then you drop the question: "WHAT DO YOU THINK?".

Note that you did not invite "What's your FEELINGS". We have suffered since the 1960's under the LIE of "trust your feelings", and "If it feels good, do it". Feelings are not a product of logic. Feelings are not the product of a careful examination of a subject. Feelings come from a combination of our heredity, instincts, popular culture, life experience, and internalized opinion formed from the external bombardment of ideas. Feelings do not come from a deductive process to analyze truth.

When you ask "What do YOU think?", we are giving respect to that person that his thoughts are valuable and you are INTERESTED in his logic and conclusions.

Our object would be to hear his point of view, his logical process, the facts and evidence he considered to arrive at his conclusions.

Like ir or not, our world revolves around identifying both our friends and our enemies. We require civil membership- to belong to a group of people of similar view. There is "safety in numbers". Therefore, we are constantly attempting to PROSELYTIZE people from other groups to our group.

We use logic, reason, science, statements of "leaders", successes and catastrophes of history to contend for our own "point of view". Sometimes, we are surprised when we learn that something we had held to be true all our lives- IS NOT TRUE! This is named an EPIPHANY- a Grand Awakening.

It is embarrassing to make such a discovery. Faced with an epiphany, we have two basic choices:

• Accept your new knowledge and incorporate it in your understanding of the world around you, which MAY involve leaving your social group and joining the former "enemy".

• Make the conscious (and dishonest) decision to ignore, disavow, and discredit the new facts in order to remain in your present social group.

Engaging people in an honest conversation can be dangerous, especially if you subscribe to the New Age, Politically Correct social group.

Reason, facts, history, research, science, statistics, and logic are shaky evidence to support the beliefs of the "liberal", "progressive" New Age, Politically Correct social group.

• If "reason" is presented, it appeals only to the emotions, to FEAR, to FEELINGS.
• If "facts" are presented, they are generated from YOUR social group.
• If "history" is presented, it has been butchered or re-written.
• If "research" is presented, it is biased, prejudiced, and commissioned for the sole purpose of "muddying" reality.
• If "science" is presented, it is pseudo-science.
• If "statistics" are presented, we are perfectly aware they are easy to generate by WHO we survey, HOW we ask the questions, to support anything your social group wants them to.
• Does the New Age Politically Correct appeal to logic? All I can think of is "Spin Doctors" and their "Bubble Machine", making evil look "OK".

I think the liberal, New Age, Politically Correct, Global Warming, Kill the Babies, Save the Planet, Social Engineers fully intend to destroy our freedom and self-autonomy to deliver America to a World Court dictatorship.

I think what they have been progressively advancing for the past 30 years against America's families, values, morals, and finances are just a precursor of "things to come".

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Leonard Henderson