thinking we are right and the other fellow wrong

1. 61

   RonPriceposted 16 years ago

   General interpretations of my whole experience, like a conductor’s perception of a symphony, are often the basis of powerful judgements, of conceptions which define, which determine, the direction of the future. They are part of the basis of the kind of politics Thomas Hobbes saw as the "still centre of a whirlpool of ideas which has drawn into itself numberless currents of thought, contemporary and historic."  This is certainly the kind of politics that is also at the centre of my Baha'i perspective: an overview, a cosmology, a weltanschaung.  We clearly have lessons to learn as we describe and define where we are going.  It could be said that we are in a similar postion to that of Henry Admas.  Politics, Henry Adams learned over 200 years ago, are "ineffectual"1 and would remain so for a very long time.  Americans, he also came to learn(and as the rest of us come to learn somewhat painfully)--and in light of new, undeniable realities only badly understood--must nonetheless be ready to discard knowledge long thought to be certain. Such painful education left Henry in a place very much like our own. And we are still learning, at our peril, the problems associated with thinking we are right and the other fellow wrong.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There's no right or wrong thinking... there is only freedom and enslavement.... as long as one is free whatever they think is right, is right!

      replyreport
   2. 0

      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      What "new undeniable realities"?
      What certain knowledge must we be "ready to discard"?

      replyreport
2. 60

   thecounterpunchposted 16 years ago

   It's because people are more interested to win in an argument than to exchange point of views see
   http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Win-An-A … Every-Time
   (not my hub)
   
   That's a pity, the reason why I avoid to discuss with somebody when I see that's his mentality is just to play this silly game.

   replyreport
3. 61

   BenChessOpeningsposted 16 years ago

   It's the truth. Sometimes people even set themselves up for an argument just so that they can argue and it always goes nowhere. A dumb way to boost your self-esteem!

   replyreport
4. 59

   shailiniposted 16 years ago

   You should watch a funny movie "Thank you for Smoking" there the hero (father) teaches his son that all everyone needs to do is to prove the opponent wrong. That's all. You will win the argument.
   
   Funny, I have seen that true.

   replyreport
5. 61

   RonPriceposted 14 years ago

   Apologies for taking more than two years to get back here. I think I will just follow the advice of the HubPages organizers and let this thread come to a graceful end. Life is busy even in retirement at the age of 65!-Ron in Tasmania

   replyreport
6. 0

   Madame Xposted 14 years ago

   Some people are right about things and some people are wrong. "Winning" an argument with them is another issue

   replyreport
7. 0

   A Texanposted 14 years ago

   I was wrong once then I found out I was mistaken!

   replyreport
   1. 60

      tobey100posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Everyone has the right to be wrong.  They do not have the right to perpetuate that wrong.  Can't remember who said that.  Hell, maybe I just did.

      replyreport
8. 0

   sneakorocksolidposted 14 years ago

   Change for changes sake is useless. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush and the devil we know is better than the one we don't. We have to remove emotion from the decision making process and deal with just the facts of any situation.

   replyreport
9. 60

   TurnOnYourSensesposted 14 years ago

   There is no right or wrong, there is only an experience.  I am trying to be less judgmental and stop putting everything in a neat little box.  It is amazing because when I began to stop judging others, I felt less judged.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      sneakorocksolidposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If you see a guy coming at us with a gun, you don't have to judge his intention but tell me I'll gladly decide that for myself.

      replyreport