Comments on: Chuang Tzu Discusses Making All Things Equal

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Jeez, Loren, sometimes you and that stuff you dig up actually make sense. When you can make sense to an argumentative ratbastard like me, that’s saying something.

I know what you mean about wanting to turn off the loud voices. I’d like to hear both sides of a story, but then it turns into a brawl–although it’s done like that to be an entertainment these days, such consternation is NOT entertaining to me.

By: loren

loren — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Yeah, I occasionally like to throw something in that makes sense so that my readers will have to think for themselves.

I’m probably not going to be around long enough to do all of their thinking for them.

By: Dick Jones

Dick Jones — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

When I was younger I would commit myself to an argument with a passion. If my adversary failed to see the palpable wisdom of my position, I would pursue the issue with redoubled vigour. Within moments of the start of the debate, it became a matter of extreme importance to me that s/he holding the opposing view be led into the light. In consequence of the passion, heat, not light, was what got generated.

Subsequent reflection revealed that I was decidedly less interested in the substance of the debate than making territorial gain, or avoiding the fear of being misunderstood, or feeling a deep insecurity at the notion of abandoning the familiarity of a long-held position.

Now, if caught in an argument that clearly allows for no compromise or common ground, I say to my opposite number, ‘On the basis of what you’ve heard so far, is anything I’m going to say likely to modify your fundamental viewpoint?’ In the event of an honest negative, I willingly concede the field.

The adjustment provided a kind of liberation. To transfer the reference from freedom from sexual drives to freedom from the imperative to argue, it was like being unchained from a wild animal!

Reading this back, I’m not sure whether it contributes much to anything other than my feeling of smugness..!