Archives for July 2004

Isn’t it interesting to see how some people cannot help but allow their distaste for certain people to color their view of some situations. I can understand why you might find it difficult to like some people.

I can understand why you might not want to be involved in things that other people are involved in. But I just have a hard time grasping how you can let your personal bias prevent you from making a logical assessment of political/historical situations.

More to the point, I find it funny to hear people claim to be knowledgeable and educated about specific events when through the course of discussion it becomes clear that they are just not. If you are that ignorant, why would you continue to broadcast it.

: “The world is sustained by three things:

By justice, by truth, and by peace.

�Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel”

There are some very interesting discussions that can be had when discussing this quote. Honesty is something that is often in short supply, yet we should remember that even when we are what some people call “brutally honest” we are not always being honest. Sounds like a contradiction, but here is what I mean.

Some people promote themselves as being purveyors of peace. They work as arbiters, social workers or could just be friendly ambassadors who enjoy trying to resolve disputes. The issue is that when you try and solve disputes it is not always possible to do so when you are so honest that you do not hold back. Some people cannot handle that kind of honesty and even though what you may say is true they may choose to continue to fight.

Example: Two boxers engage in a 12 round battle. The fight ends and one is declared the winner. The judges describe the winner as having “destroyed” the other. Consequently the loser’s ego is so seriously bruised that he attacks the winner and is subjected to another beating. That may sound simplistic, but consider how our own egos can cause us to act in ways that are not smart nor beneficial to our own well being. Sometimes it is better to be more diplomatic in our descriptions of “truth.”

I find it humorous to engage people in discussions of why they believe things to be a certain way. Oftentimes there is no real logic or rationale, just an arbitrary decision to support or not support something.

I am guilty of it sometimes too.

But the problem stems from the laziness of some people. They are unwilling to put in the time to figure out why they believe things to be a certain way. It is a good intellectual exercise to do the opposite of the slackers and spend a few minutes with yourself.

Why are you a Democrat? Why are you a Republican? What values are important to you and why?