Preface

Here comes the fun part. If you don't like fun, don't proceed.

Saved ~ or ~ Santanic

Obviously grouping people into categories - like Saved and Santanic - is just a bit more ridiculous then labeling people at all. But - it may or may not come as a surprise to you - it happens. A lot. All the time. Some people actually fancy themselves labeling experts. I know this from personal experience. The upcoming stories (and the words used in the telling) will be unwound to point out the science of getting people to think without thinking. We talk about it happening these days, but is there really a science behind it? Of course there is. There are experts in everything. No one person can figure everything out anymore. Life in the Information Age berry picking and squirrel hunting, as nice as that would be.

I'm going to argue that there is value in having the ability to identify someone who is selling you something, and don't just think I mean used cars and raffle tickets. Everybody is trying to influence you, especially if they haven't mentioned that they are selling you something. More importantly is the case when that someone calls themselves "an expert." Some experts should be trusted. They worked hard to develop their expertise. Untrustworthy experts have a hidden agenda. Trustworthy experts, generally, do not. Here I introduce a continuum of influential communication techniques. Experts may (or may not)...

inform,
opine,
argue,
persuade,
influence,
propagandize,
exercise undue influence, or
engage in coercive persuasion

This section devotes attention to defining, recognizing, and dissecting these activities. A trustworthy expert is EXPECTED to engage in the first five influence activities. A trustworthy expert does not intentionally engage in any of the last three activities (...well - at least the last 2). This is the playground of the untrustworthy expert. His expertise is not in the specialty he falsely represents. His specialty is manipulation. Many times, those activities are the only reason the untrustworthy expert is involved with his specialty at all. Trustworthy experts apply themselves to a field because they love their interest area and find it valuable whether it's squirrel hunting, rocket science, or unraveling the complexities of influence.

Compliance professionals, expert or not (trustworthy or not) will shed light here. They might be university professors, researchers, Russian intelligence operatives, faith healers, or used car salesmen. Here, the value of being able to identify dehumanizing privacy intrusions and emotional manipulation (abusive lies) is being suggested. Maybe that's what I'm selling. I'm selling the idea that the mechanics of our compliance in the face of bullshit and the psychological forces that make us susceptible to it... should at least be considered. And then maybe dismissed. Your call. Maybe you know that no one is trying to get your compliance at all. Maybe you conclude that you are a master logician and need no advise from experts on how to make judgments. In fact, you may conclude that the most obvious thing about this site is that it's elite garbage, a total waste of time, and that the I could have at least mentioned that up front.

Granted, this site is a bit unconventional and opinions expressed are mine. At best, it's ridiculous and irreverent. At worst... there's an inscrutable bouquet - hard to pin down - with hints of snark and an antagonistic, yet raunchy, finish. (Or that could be coming from your shoe.) So, no more elite wine references. From now on it's popcorn and movies. Music too! You can listen to the music play while you read. Sometimes there are several options. In at least one case (hint... rhymes with traits) you should play all the music at once. Unless you're not on a cellphone, you should play them all at once. Mr. "traits" doesn't have a cell phone. Maybe have a beer and a smoke if you're not driving.

This section won't be for everyone. But everyone should try it. At least once. I haven't given up on democracy and this is my contribution, I'm airing out my free speech after this warning. Be warned. It may be a challenge to provide an adult with tools to strengthen critical thinking. So, I might hit you with an assignment or two. There will be pop quizzes. It's uncomfortable for an adult to sense they don't know everything about everything. (Ask me, I'm always uncomfortable) especially how they judge who's really an expert. You can always to find one that agrees with your current beliefs. Boring. But, if you notice there are disagreements between experts, I GUARANTEE you - one will be using more proper logic (and, perhaps, grammar) than the other. It might be wise to consider deeply at the one using more logic. This might also be said for emotion. An excess of emotions (especially negative emotion) is often a tipoff that logical thinking has left the room. <sarcasm ahead> Conspiracy theories can help with sorting out people with claims to expertise. They can really tie everything together. For instance, if you do your research you can see if a certain website has ties to the Soros Foundation... likely funded by it, and will certainly attempt to brainwash you. Find the Santanic bucket! Drop your reading device now, but not on your nice rug unless you know where the fire extinguisher is. Now you may safely put the author in your category for SOROS-RELATED-FOOLS. Job well done. Slap a yellow sticky on your wall, add a push pin and run a string to the proper photograph. I'll be watching and waiting.

Sincere attempts to engage reality - to to properly win mind and hearts - without frenetic entertainment, without the shock, awe, the controversy and manufactured fear we have become used to... might be a challenge. These cowardly practices reinforce addiction, perpetuate attention deficit, and erode our critical thinking. They are tearing apart people of good faith with kind hearts. I don't like them (the techniques).

We're in a "good" world... some argue. With hard work, our brains can find unique solutions to new problems. We have painless dentistry. But our brains can also super-size dumb behavior. For example, if indulging brutish anger is your specialty, then you might not want not want to make a "good" world a better world. You might selfishly try to change the "good" world into one that maximizes the utility of brutish anger, or... just blow it up. Clever idea for a selfish brute. The rest of us probably think - "not so clever." For most everybody, the idea of destroying the world is a passing thought, at worst a thin veneer over a hopeful and compassionate heart. Sand down that veneer and build some mental muscle that will help win friends and influence people - without killing them.

The basics of critical thinking, listed near the first sentence, are not that obscure... we use and misuse them everyday. Because it's a mixed bag, it's better to notice them when using them. It's also handy to see when other people misuse them ... talkin to you, likely talking you out of your money or something even more important like your vote. Everybody's used some critical thinking to get where they are and if you're reading this... so far, so good. Putting elitism aside, I'm really trying to learn all this stuff myself. I'm going to need to understand it to get any further without self destructing. We're all in this together. Maybe.