Go on the Offensive

No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies. - Dean Acheson 


When you have well integrated principles based on reason ask blunt, hard questions of those who disagree with you. You will be attacked personally (not on your principles) but you may have slowed the progress of vile ideas.


(Other posts on Principles) 

Pursuit of Ideas

Not to engage in the pursuit of ideas is to live like ants instead of men. - Mortimer Adler 


Mankind's only remarkable survival skill is the mind and rational thought.


(Other posts on Thinking) 

Injury Scales

The injuries we do and those we suffer are seldom weighed in the same scales. - Aesop 


Something to keep in mind when apologizing.


(Other posts on Mistakes) 

Finding Blame

The search for someone to blame is always successful. - Robert Half


Especially when the searcher is to blame.


(Other posts on Criticism) 

Being Bribed With Your Own Money

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. - Alexis de Tocqueville 


We'll see how much bribery is required for his prediction to come true.


(Other posts on Government) 

Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. From a previous post:

It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentionally lying that there is so much falsehood in the world. - Samuel Johnson 

There may be a difference between carelessness about truth and in intentional lying but the symptoms and results are the same. The degree of sin committed is approximately equal.

How might one be "careless about the truth?" There are several different ways which come to mind.

- Failure to investigate fully.

- Ignoring a portion of truth which does not fit with the speakers point. I would call this the truth but not the whole truth.

- Making a joke. Most jokes are funny because they are careless with the truth.

Failure to investigate fully:

This might also be called jumping to a conclusion.  This is also the lazy way to prove your point. You find a fact which supports your hypothesis and quit looking.

Partial truth:

This is a technique employed every day by scammers. They talk authoritatively and provide verifiable truths which support their claim and ignore the facts which shoot down the theory. This was used extensively during the months leading up to Y2K by those predicting world collapse because of computer date handling deficiencies. Trouble was it didn't happen (in fact it didn't even cause a ripple). The fact that was ignored was the effort people went to to ensure their programs would be compliant. A lot of Doom and Gloomers made a lot of money selling books and people who make generators and sell bulk foods did pretty well too. Today the global warming folks are doing the same - in fact if you do it well you might even get a Nobel Prize! You don't "lie", you just select the truths that fit.

Make a Joke:

Humor is good - only when you use humor to "prove" your argument you are being careless with the truth (not funny).

What is the most common use of being careless with the truth? The courtroom. Think about it - when you are a witness you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The defense and prosecuting attorneys are not required to take a similar oath. Their job is to be careless with the truth and to keep the opposition from getting by with it. If fact, as a witness, you are able to only answer the specific question - you can't elaborate to tell the whole truth. The attorney's job is to fashion questions which prevent you from fulfilling your oath. If you think the purpose of a trial is to bring out the truth - give that idea up!

Be particularly wary of attorneys who are promoting Doom and Gloom - they are trained experts at being careless with the truth.

Beginning of Delusion

Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion. - Jim Rohn 


In other words, know whereof you speak. 


(Other posts on Persuasion)  

Progress Stopped

Once an organization loses its spirit of pioneering and rests on its early work, its progress stops. - Thomas J. Watson 


The same could be said of a person.


(Other posts on Achievement)  

Careless Truth

It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentionally lying that there is so much falsehood in the world. - Samuel Johnson 


There may be a difference between carelessness about truth and in intentional lying but the symptoms and results are the same. The degree of sin committed is approximately equal.


(Other posts on Truth) 

Abandoned Skepticism

Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily. - George Santayana 


Voters; news media; investors looking for a quick buck; advocates of the latest doom and gloom scam are prime examples of people who throw out their skepticism when faced with a charming personality.


(Other posts on Persuasion)