# The Quotable Powers

**URL:** <http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372>\
**Category:** CSG1999\
**Created:** [December 9, 1999, 2:39pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372 "1999-12-09T14:39:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![R\_Marken](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@R\_Marken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/R_Marken)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 2:39pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372/1 "1999-12-09T14:39:37Z")

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[From Rick Marken (991209.1440)]

Bill Powers (991210.1431 MDT) to Bruce Nevin --

> I'm very tired of this argument.

I bet. But you sure have produced some gems along the  
way. Here are two of my favorites:

> There are very good reasons for keeping a committment,  
> which makes them [the reasons] more important than  
> keeping a comittment.

A nice koan, indeed!

> I said the \_effect\_ of certain processes in RTP is to do that  
> [coerce]. I'm sure nobody in RTP intends for that to happen; in  
> fact it's the resistance to the idea that such things happen in  
> RTP that keeps people from realizing that it does happen.

Best

Rick

> **···**
>
> --  
> Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313  
> Life Learning Associates mailto: rmarken@earthlink.net  
> [http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken](http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken)

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_Gregory8](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Bruce\_Gregory8](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bruce_Gregory8)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 12:39am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372/2 "1999-12-10T00:39:25Z")

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[From Bruce Gregory (991209.1937 EST)]

Rick Marken (991209.1440)

> I bet. But you sure have produced some gems along the  
> way. Here are two of my favorites:

No need to fawn quite so much, Rick. It's clear to everyone that you are the  
Son in whom Bill is well pleased.

Bruce Gregory

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_Gregory](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_Gregory](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bruce_Gregory)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 3:02pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372/3 "1999-12-10T15:02:34Z")

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[From Bruce Gregory (991210.0957 EST)]

Bill Powers (991210.1431 MDT) to Bruce Nevin --

> \> I said the \_effect\_ of certain processes in RTP is to do that  
> \> [coerce]. I'm sure nobody in RTP intends for that to happen; in  
> \> fact it's the resistance to the idea that such things happen in  
> \> RTP that keeps people from realizing that it does happen.

Attributing to others an unwillingness to see the truth seems to me to  
be a surefire way to guarantee that one will never see any merits in  
their positions. The ploy appears to embody the very mechanism it  
attributes to others. Nevertheless, its utility is obvious. It is a very  
powerful way to protect one's own perceptions from disturbances.

Bruce Gregory

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bill_Powers1)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 5:19pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372/4 "1999-12-10T17:19:28Z")

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[From Bill Powers (991210.1016 MDT)]

Bruce Gregory (991209.1937 EST)--

> No need to fawn quite so much, Rick. It's clear to everyone that you are the  
> Son in whom Bill is well pleased.

No, I said (to me) that I wasn't going to get involved in this sort of  
sleazy interaction, so this is all that is left after hitting the delete  
key -- all but the one word.

Bill

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**Author:** ![Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bill\_Powers1](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Bill_Powers1)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 5:38pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quotable-powers/11372/5 "1999-12-10T17:38:13Z")

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[From Bill Powers (991210.1036 MDT)]

Bruce Gregory (991210.0957 EST)--

> Attributing to others an unwillingness to see the truth seems to me to  
> be a surefire way to guarantee that one will never see any merits in  
> their positions. The ploy appears to embody the very mechanism it  
> attributes to others. Nevertheless, its utility is obvious. It is a very  
> powerful way to protect one's own perceptions from disturbances.

No. My rather obvious clever reply goes into the bit bucket.

Bill