The Truth Should Be The Focus of Arguments

“In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory, or an unjust interest.”

-William Penn

The problem with most arguments today is those involved are trying to be right rather than to find the truth. In the words of Richard Feynman, "I'd rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned" which reflect the notion that seeking truth and understanding is more valuable than merely being right.

“Though everyone wants to be right, as soon as people start to air their incompatible views it becomes clear that not everyone can be right about everything.”

-Steven Pinker

Why do people want to be right in arguments?

People argue for a variety of reasons, often rooted in their unique perspective, emotions, and experiences. The psychological and social reason to be right can be due to:

• Validation - One's self-worth is tied to being right.
• Social Status - To enhance one's reputation/credibility.
• Cognitive Dissonance - Avoiding the discomfort of being wrong.
• Control - Being right gives a sense of control in an otherwise unpredictable world.
• Fear of Change - Being wrong means that a change in thinking is required.

Those that committed to improving themselves can't afford to have a flaw like this. It's important that we identify and resolve these problems so that we can see arguments as the learning opportunities they're supposed to be.

If You Can't Do the Time, Don't Do The Crime

I recently had a chat with an ex-convict who told me about her past of crime and I was surprised at how much time was lost through the ordeal. Time is the most important resource we have and we're free to do what we want with it. When we're in prison, our life is on hold until such time as we've repaid society for the troubles we've caused - sometimes this can mean that we've missed out on important life events such as, in this case, finding a suitable mate to build a family with. Motherhood is one goal that she likely won't be able to experience.

If your goal is to be a mother you don't need to spend time in prison to miss out - spending time in unrelated activities can also yield the same result. The difference here is, of course, that you prioritized other things rather than been forced out of your goal while spending time in prison.

Why someone ends up in prison varies but if time has any value to you, then you will see prison as a complete waste of it and do what is necessary not to end up there. 

Nobody Cares About What You Know*

"Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words."

-Proverb 23:9

After years of reading good books you may begin to see the foolishness of others (*cough* like Americans voting for a convicted felon *cough* *cough*). You can't share most of what you know with the majority of the people that you meet. If they're not fools then they don't care and you're not actually that important.

What is there to do?

You can write a blog *cough*, write in a journal, or focus on your relationships until people start opening up to you and seeking your council. The late Theodore Roosevelt said "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" and it certainly is true here. Before people know that you care, there's no point in trying to "teach" them anything.

Book Covers are To Be Judged

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a methapor that means we shouldn't judge a person, or something, solely on appearance or first impression. However, the very purpose of a book cover is to judge the book - it's marketing tool to hopefully intice people to buy the book. 

If we weren't supposed to "judge a book by its cover" then why does it have pictures, short summary, "New york time best seller" stickers ... or anything else meant to get the book in peole's hands?

The cover of a book is, by design, meant to be judged. We also tend to judge people on first impression and, if its negative, we must find it in our heart to give the person the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was having a bad day, maybe he can't afford a nice suit, maybe he's anxious... let's give people a chance to redeem themselves.

Why is Pseudoscience still Around?

“Science arouses a soaring sense of wonder. But so does pseudoscience. Sparse and poor popularizations of science abandon ecological niches that pseudoscience promptly fills. If it were widely understood that claims to knowledge require adequate evidence before they can be accepted, there would be no room for pseudoscience. But a kind of Gresham’s Law prevails in popular culture by which bad science drives out good.”
-Carl Sagan 

Years ago I met a woman who was training to be a "faith healer". When I inquired about it, she told me that she was attending classes out of a master faith healer's home, for a fee of course, and it was "really working" for her.
While I didn't ask her this I'm sure she also had extensive knowledge of astrology, card reading, rock energy or all other matter of pseudoscience.

What is a Scientist?

A scientist is a person who conducts research to increase knowledge in the natural sciences. They use evidence and research to form hypotheses, test them, and share their findings.

“…it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. Which attitude is better geared for our long-term survival? Which gives us more leverage on our future? And if our naïve self-confidence is a little undermined in the process, is that altogether such a loss? Is there not cause to welcome it as a maturing and character-building experience?”

-Carl Sagan

To some, it's difficult to make the distinction between science and pseudoscience simply because the mass media is filled with the later. Today, there's a lot more shows about "Aliens have built the pyramids" than Carl Sagan talking about why going faster than the speed of light is impossible without breaking the math currently related to it.

“Pseudoscience is easier to contrive than science, because distracting confrontations with reality—where we cannot control the outcome of the comparison—are more readily avoided.”

-Carl Sagan

A great book on the subject is "The Deamon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan (available here).

The Climb

Life is a mountain that we climb until the day we die. The older we are, the higher up on the mountain we are and the further we can see. The responsibility of those higher on the mountain is to show the path to those that are lower on the mountain - the generations that follows.

“When you’re young; you learn. When you get older; you understand.” 

-Unknown

An idiot is someone who doesn't learn from his mistakes.

A smart person is someone who learns from his mistakes.

A genius is someone that learns from someone else's mistakes.

There are no greater shortcuts to success in life than to learn from someone else's mistakes. Whether it be a mentor's counsel or a great book be humble enough to seek the the advice of others. One day, it'll be your turn to pass on what you've learned.

2024 - A Retrospective from My Perspective

Well here we are again... another year has gone by and this one sure was eventful:

• We had an American election that didn't really go in the direction I would of liked.
• We had a Canadian Provincial election that went well.
• A.I. is quickly gaining ground everywhere.
• Tension all around the world are rising.
• The National debt of most countries is at an all time high.

For me, 2024 went by in a flash. I've learned more this year than I did the previous 5 due to a steady diet of books and Podcasts. Some notable books I managed to read this year are:

• "The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Steven Pinker
• "On Liberty" by John Stuart Mill
• "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey
• "The 5 love languages" by Gary Chapman
• "How to have confidence and power in dealing with people" by Les Giblin

For 2025, I intend on maintaining my reading habits and would like to eat better - try different foods and stay away from junk.

May 2025 be your year!