[From Bruce Gregory (2003.12.16.1154)]
I'm afraid the discussion of "correct perceptions" leaves me cold. It
seems to me that inferences can be correct or incorrect, but
perceptions are givens and hence not subject to such judgments.
The question about "enemies" is better stated, in my view, in terms of
goals. Individuals with incompatible goals will experience conflict.
Working out ways to make our goals compatible is what much of
communication turns out to be about.
Bruce Gregory
"Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no
one was listening, everything must be said again."
Andre Gide
[From Bill Williams 16 December 2003 12:35 PM CST]
Bruce,
You say,
The question about "enemies" is better stated, in my view, in terms of
goals. Individuals with incompatible goals will experience conflict.
Working out ways to make our goals compatible is what much of
communication turns out to be about.
Ok. I had the idea that designating someone, or some group, as the enemy wasn't likely to be a good start toward "Working out ways to make our goals compatible..."
Bill Williams
[From Bruce Gregory (2003.12.16.1451)]
Bill Williams 16 December 2003 12:35 PM CST
Bruce,
You say,
The question about "enemies" is better stated, in my view, in terms of
goals. Individuals with incompatible goals will experience conflict.
Working out ways to make our goals compatible is what much of
communication turns out to be about.
Ok. I had the idea that designating someone, or some group, as the
enemy wasn't likely to be a good start toward "Working out ways to
make our goals compatible..."
That's for sure! It seems to me that "we" can alter goals provided they
are not at the apex of some hierarchy. Apex goals can only be altered
by reorganization of the entire system.
Bruce Gregory
"Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no
one was listening, everything must be said again."
Andre Gide
[From Bill Williams 16 December 2003 2:20 PM CST]
[From Bruce Gregory (2003.12.16.1451)]
Bill Williams 16 December 2003 12:35 PM CST
Bruce,
You say,
It seems to me that "we" can alter goals provided they
are not at the apex of some hierarchy. Apex goals can only be altered
by reorganization of the entire system.
I wonder about this. I'm talking with an Arab student who is, as best I can tell a fundamentalist. At least he is of the opinion that Islam ought to rule the world. He believes it is esential that his country somehow get hold of a bomb. In general he is a true believer in one God, and that God is Allah. To some extent he thinks that I am OK because I will admit to not being able to make sense of the Christian Trinity. And, he doesn't seem to mind that I say that I'm not a believer in spiritual things.
However, he is taking a sequence that emphasizes math and statistical courses. Suppose, unlikely as it probably is, that sometime in the future he discards his Apex beliefs in the Koran, Allah, and all. This would obviously require a massive reorganization on his part, but I doubt that if such a thing were to happen that it would touch his quantitative skills to any significant extent. Thus, it would seem to me that some qualification is neccesary to your claim that "Apex goals can only be altered by reorganization of the entire system."
Bill Williams