People calling us crazy...

Jack.Troutman wrote: I live and represent Jediism well. I will continue to do so. I will not shy away from it and try to make sure that how I act and what I do is respectful and that I honor the Jedi way. I answer any questions brought before me about the Jedi path. I walk as a Jedi, I talk as a Jedi, and I try to represent the community as well as I am able.

great, what do you say about Jedi abilities?

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

some people are not only unreasonable,but completely assured of their own correctness

even when they have no experience in a subject and are speaking to people who do

you can politely explain to these people that they are unreasonable and they will only argue

being reasonable and receptive to feedback is not a requirement to place on others

it is a standard to apply to ones self

--

also, one ought to actually be good at logic if one is going to place it at the forefront

Jedi "abilities" aren't those of mythical Jedi. Although that might be very cool. Empathy, compassion, training, self-sacrifice, and community service are the true abilities of a Jedi.

OB1Shinobi wrote: some people are not only unreasonable,but completely assured of their own correctness

even when they have no experience in a subject and are speaking to people who do

you can politely explain to these people that they are unreasonable and they will only argue

being reasonable and receptive to feedback is not a requirement to place on others

it is a standard to apply to ones self

--

also, one ought to actually be good at logic if one is going to place it at the forefront

just find irrefutable flaw in their logic because we are unable to know what they know since we are not them. we wouldn't know what they know or don't know, so it all comes to proof, rather than assume by our own prejudices.

asking questions and demonstrating proof is how discussions work

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

always raise the level of reasoning rather than the level of prejudice

Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

if i am having a discussion with someone, for instance lets say we are talking about the role of diplomacy in the second world war, and i suggest they look up "appeasement" and they disregard that suggestion and continue on with the conversation as ifit were unimportant that they understand what i referenced, then it becomes clear that i am speaking with someone who wants to win and be right, rather than someone who wants to communicate and understand

or if i see that someone demands respect for logic, while seeming to imply that one single personi who occasionally re enacts midieval battles might have a better understanding of warfare than several people who have been trained and have fought in recent wars and conflicts

or someone who clearly does not understand the ideas that they criticize

im not going to waste my time walking them through each of their mistaks

im going to say "hey, youre going to isolate yourself" im going to tell them "if you think im being unfair then disregard me as an anomoly and carry on"

i dont want to deal with their defenses and arguments

eventually such a person will come to understand that what i told them was accurate, they just didnt want to hear it
and that the smart thing to do would be to slow their roll lol but that would mean dropping the idea that they are the smartest person around

let me put it this way - before we can even get to the part where the logical inconsistancies are explained, we have to establish a baseline of mutual respect and thoughfulness

it takes a level of maturity to do that, and if that maturity isnt there, then there is no point in explaining the more rigorous logical elements, because children want to already be right, rather than to learn, therefore they argue rather than discuss

The further along my path I go, I find I have less and less interest in what people think about us when they hear the word "Jedi". If they want to laugh, call names, ridicule us... that's up to them. It doesn't affect me, and it doesn't impact the massive progress I've made by integrating Jedi teachings into my life.

Surely anyone engaged with what we actually do here hears such words as ignorant noise, rather than legitimate criticism. After several years of study and engagement, let me say: this is real. It works, it can help you grow. This afternoon I completed a lesson analysing guilt and shame. Later I will meditate, and this evening I will go down to the homeless shelter and work overnight as a voluntary supervisor. Tomorrow I will have my kids over, who I now enjoy a far deeper relationship with than before I found the Temple. Those things are happening because of this place; they draw no guilt, no shame, and certainly no other need for proof that this isn't just some morons wafting around plastic toys and pretending to do magic.

The world will always present many ignorant people, if they choose to engage with me directly I will discuss things and see if they are flexible enough to accept their preconceived notions are inadequate. But comments on social media? I don't care, honestly. And if I met one of these name-calling people in the street, needing my help, they would certainly get it - and have their own first-hand evidence of the legitimacy of our path.

The best defence of Jediism is being the best Jedi you can. No mudslinging, no war of words will achieve what a few good acts every day will. It doesn't matter to me that if you asked my friends, almost none would describe me as a Jedi - what matters is if you asked my friends, almost all of them would describe me as a helpful, kind and compassionate person. Getting caught up in whether something based on Star Wars can or can't be a legitimate path of spiritual growth ignores the fact that... it already is.

Jack.Troutman wrote: Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that does not mean it is ok to belittle or bully someone because their beliefs are different than yours.

Actually, that is exactly what it means. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and everybody is free to voice their feelings and opinions in speech or text or creative art or any combination of the above. However, nobody is entitled to remain uncriticized or to not be ridiculed or indeed to not be laughed at.

To belittle or bully someone is not a right. Opinions can be voiced (or typed) without hate, hate is NEVER ok.