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Dox47
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11 Sep 2016, 12:52 am

There still seems to be some confusion as to what I was talking about in the OP, so I'll try another hypothetical example.

Let's say I'm talking to someone and they keep interrupting me, so I start interrupting them, on the theory that they will see how annoying it is and stop doing it. My experience is that they'll simply get annoyed, never "learn their lesson", and at most, think I'm the one being the jerk, far from the desired result. I thought it would be interesting to discuss because I think a lot of people use this idea of behavioral correction to justify being jerks to people they think deserve it, and I think that's very counter-productive to everyone involved.


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androbot01
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11 Sep 2016, 7:23 am

Dox47 wrote:
androbot01 wrote:
People should be more concerned with learning than trying to artificially raise themselves to "wise man" status.


Ahh, but maybe you think you're doing it for their own good, trying to make them a better person by getting them to change bad behavior. The method may be off, but that doesn't mean the motivation has to be crass. If I've learned nothing else in my years of political battles, it's that malice is much, much rarer than incompetence and good intention gone awry.

It's the motivation that I am questioning. Specifically, why do you think it is your business to change their bad behaviour or to do it for their own good? One's motivation shouldn't be to alter others, but to make the best of yourself. If others don't understand, so be it. Trying to make others conform to your perception of things is disrespectful of their experience and a huge waste of time.



kraftiekortie
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11 Sep 2016, 8:18 am

I don't seek to change anybody.

I seek to present people with alternatives.

If people don't consider alternatives, people stagnate.