No More Arguing

 

I will apologize to people in advance for what I am about to post here (on Facebook) and here on my blog. It's a letter I have written several times now to people who question me on various topics about how I develop my personal truths. I am posting it now for others on here that I often come at odds with regarding positions on various issues.

 

I'm going to say this even though I may alienate you, but it's my new post 70 years old attitude to be more direct versus avoiding serious confrontation.  Although I still try to follow the maxim: “Honesty without compassion is cruelty”.
I don’t feel many of you research your 'truths' well enough (in my opinion); and you are not much different in that respect than most of my friends and acquaintances. Too many say they 'heard this', 'read that' but seldom verify it before it becomes an axiom of their belief system.  They accept readily that which aligns with what they feel and decline that which threatens it.
People will say to me that they are engulfed by work, so have no time, and I get that. I too put in hours way over 50 to 60 a week when I worked and then (like them) had family and house items at night and on weekends. But I still researched for my truths... It’s the logical part of my personality.

In philosophy one law of logic is A=A; the Law of Identity.  I won’t get into the aspects of it philosophically but simplistically from Plato to Objectivism it can mean: “If something doesn’t align with itself it should be reviewed.  I use it to remind me that if the information I research does not align with my current beliefs, then I must investigate and discern if my premises are correct.  I have “A=A” tattooed on my right arm so I never lose sight of that.

I also believe that if people want something they will ALWAYS do what they want unless something they want more, or external forces prevent them. I have several friends who NEVER want their beliefs challenged MORE than they want to know the truth.  I have known some of these people since high school, or over decades of my work career.  For me, I always want to know root cause and to discern as much as I can about what is true. This means that even when my premises are challenged, and I cannot with my data refute those challenges - that I must re-think my premises.  A must equal A.

Many people ask me about my beliefs, and I do my best to provide them with the proof of my premises/truths.  I provide sources and if necessary, the multiple sources I use in my attempt to get past slanted media (both right & left) and find what is most accurate.  If I am challenged by them with evidence, I hope and pray to God, I would review it sincerely, and that I would – for the sake of seeking what is true – read it – think over it and if I could not refute it, accept it as a new truth.

one definition of reason is: the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of logic.  This is my process, has been my process, but I am tired of sharing it with those to whom A does not equal A.  I will continue to publish what I believe, and I will continue to answer questions to those who will actually read and review what I send (as I will theirs).  But to those who just want to argue with nothing more than their view reiterated over and over.  I won’t bother. I am done with all that.