From a private message, which I respect greatly:
I'm not trying to pick a fight, be a "mind parasite," or any of the jazz, but I think the whole notion that heated exchanges have no value is wrong. Heated exchanges do not inherently mean incivility. Heated exchange can be the byproduct of intelligent debate. That is, as long as it remains intlligent and on point. I think that you, and some others on this forum forget that negativity is not necessarily "bad." The ancients knew this, and did not seek to eradicate negativity, but to balance it. It has its place as part of our mental condition. Good things can come of negativity and heated debate.
With that said, I find most of your comments thoughtful, and find great value in your writing. Given the overwhelming focus on economic issues, is your professional background rooted in economics?
Greetings and thank you for the contact and feedback.
I'll reflect your words back, and totally agree that "It has its place as part of our mental condition.". I want to work towards abandoning that influence, as I do NOT see it as a balancing energy, but, in fact, a parasite. PERIOD - This is my perception and slice of truth, other's have their own. Perhaps just because the ancients 'knew' this is exactly why we all are still in a sandbox full of cat****. They may indeed have known, and some cherished it perhaps, but it doesn't remove the possibility that it is a foreign installation in our psyche, in my opinion.
However, I don't base my preference on anything beyond my experience (including in depth reading), which is a deep feeling of disconnection when things, all things, get aggressive. Assertive I respect, and perhaps it is a weakness. I enjoy the Four Agreements and work towards getting there on the "Don't Take Anything Personal", yet really resonate more with "Be Impeccable With Your Word".
As for the economics, I have twenty years of armchair type study, and learned best, actually, from the novel / muse Cra$hmaker. I know economics is the 3d physical juice of the machine, and a tool, to be used for construction ... leaving the only question of what shall we construct.
My artisan endeavors are in seeking to be kind, seeking to connect, prose, photography and for $'s, electrical construction management consulting.
~ namaste ~