In Praise of Talk
May 24, 1989
AKS/News Items = None
Summary = See Below
Excursion / Task = See Below
Diagrams = See Below
Transcript = needs edit before posting ( Tneeded )
Curation = 4D Science
0497 video grab
Summary
#497 ** May 24, 1989 ** – 1:13
Notes by TK
“In praise of talk”. In some circumstances talk is the only thing possible, and properly so. Red Circuit e.g., when both possibilities of the fight or flight response are unprofitable/impractical. Blue Circuit e.g., to say “I love you” when overt action is impossible/inappropriate. Just as it is wrong for a RE to talk when he should act, it is equally pregnant with possibility to talk when that is all that is possible.
Language is necessary to Life; without language, man would have no institutions. Only language can function in certain areas, meet certain energy needs. “The pen is mightier than the sword” is a simplistic reflection of the “ultimate triumph of talk” in its appropriate circumstance, and without which civilization would be impossible.
Men cannot act without first thinking/describing to themselves and/or others what they are going to do. Thinking is the minimal requirement even for attempted action. Example of political candidate describing programs he would put into place, when he has no experience whatever with them—yet this is accepted as reasonable by all hearers. This is description before action; “thinking out loud” improvisation, daydreaming, which is the real activity of Life-through-man. No Secondary Level action is possible without talk; this is the ultimate triumph of talk. It is a process of stabilization of Life’s growth.
Those who have the power to misinform have all the power they’ll ever need.
The RE cultivates a more complex Dialogue, a Dialogue with Life. It is a “mindful evasiveness” a willful evasiveness so as not to be submissively debilitated by/to Life. When motivated to do/not do something, say: “I would love to do that, but right now it’s impossible”. (“You understand I’m sure” is an optional tag-on). This reverses Life’s game; Life does understand and cannot gainsay this, its own, argument.
The “I’m my own brother” method: let any idea/action you’re tempted with be “your brother’s” while you are your own ‘made-up brother’. That way if Life shoots it down, you can disclaim responsibility; “Hey, it was his dumb idea”!
The ATMMW Method: in place of saying “I thought” say: “and then my mind went…
Excursion
1:12 Excursion: Try for 4 days to find circumstances where talk is the only proper action.