It Takes Courage to Think

Thinking is a physically taxing activity. 

It’s actually a physically painful, energy depleting pursuit that is calorie-demanding. More than just physically taxing, thinking is actually a morally taxing occupation requiring true courage. 

Especially so when it comes to independently thinking for yourself ---- understanding for yourself the facts, formulating your own opinions, and standing your ground amid a legion of loud mouthed critics who feel compelled that you should benefit from their enlightened opinion...  

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How to Get Started on Your Personal Revolution?

Every propagandist worth his salt eventually discovers for himself the dark art of plagiaristic “scaffolding” as a practical tool for exorcising writers block. Okay, memorize this secret mantra and never again dread brain zombification in the face of the wicked deadline: “google-copy-paste-rewrite!”

The idea behind this deadline-centric brilliance is of course to jump-start the writer's depleted creative juices by leap-frogging directly to the rewriting stage --- which is where your shameless retrofitting craftsmanship morphs into inspired creativity. Before you know it, you have an original masterpiece in your hands, or at least something decent. (It simply won't work though, if you do not actually know how to spot good material to bastardize or you do not know how to do an effective rewrite.)

Outside the creative field, however, I realized that “scaffolding” becomes a veritable scepter of power when waged in pursuit of one's personal revolution...

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The Reality-Manipulating Power Of Acknowledgment

To be on the receiving end of acknowledgement on a daily basis can be life-changing or life-wrecking, depending on the quality of acknowledgment. Incidentally, this is how we build or sabotage our children's self-esteem and  their later chances for a happy adult life.

Acknowledging someone for doing something good, however, is not just good leadership or an act of kindness. It does boomerang and becomes an exercise in positive self-affirmation --- so be careful what you praise or endorse.

If the acknowledgement is made public, it can even flat out be a political statement --- something that inspires an entire community to hold up to the same notable standard. Incidentally, this is how we elevate or debase our communities and workplaces, depending on the kind of behavior we reward...

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The Unavoidable Epistemology Of Blog Writing

To write perfectly, or at least with perfect certainty, is a blogger's hopeless hubris. This I have come to learn the slow, hard and painfully messy way.

Truth to tell, nobody's writing is perfect and blog writing is several notches on a baser category. The only honest, and hottest, best I can do here is to approach blogging as a 'journalism of ideas'.

I am not saying this of course just to enjoy blanket deniability, although I confess that would be conveniently useful. What I actually am after is a full-blown attack on my own irrational fear of making irresponsible statements. Not that I relish making irresponsible statements but if it so does happen -- in the course of an honest pursuit of knowledge --- then I can at least rest easy in my sleep knowing that epistemology is on my side.

Read At Your Own Risk