Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A brief word on Phil Plait's talk at The Amazing Meeting 8.

I encourage you to watch this video, skeptic or believer.  It's about thirty minutes.

I don't really keep up on JREF news, and I wasn't aware of this speech until yesterday.  Plait tells a very important message, one that I hope I'm shown to believe in this blog.  You are not going to change anybody's mind by getting in their face, and being rude.  If you actually want to get a message across, treat the person like they are an intelligent human being..

Summed up: Don't be a dick.



2 comments:

  1. Why the need to prostletize (sorry-sp) skepticism? Some people are psychic and visionary, some are not. I am but I frankly don't care if someone else is not. Once you have seen the "unseen" you can't stop seeing it just because it makes some people uncomfortable. I start with skepticism even as I make accurate predictions for people who come to me for Tarot card readings. Skepticism is easy. Clairvoyant vision is rare and therefor hard. It isn't about faith but experience. Its not about religion, but about experience and validation of that experience by others.
    I always think that people who have to sell their beliefs to others are insecure.
    I am also quite capable of critical thinking and use it all of the time.
    Why the need to show people "why they are wrong"?
    This is reductionist, materialistic thinking,left brain domination. Some people are right brain dominant.
    He keeps using childrens stories and films as examples.
    This talk is condescending in the extreme.
    Cheers!

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  2. I surprised at how many people have taken offence to this speech, with 300+ replies on his blog about it (and the first commentator on this blog) when his message can be boiled down to "Be nice. It's not too much to ask." That doesn't seem too controversial to me.

    If someone tells me I need to be more polite, I assume it's because I've been impolite in some way. I don't puff myself up with indignation and say "How dare you! You have no right to say that!"

    Nice blog, by the way.

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