Looking for initiate study partners!

I've only begun reading but would like to study with one or more people. I do better with someone else to retain the knowledge. I am also trying to bond with the people that should rise through the ranks with me. If you are interested please comment on this topic or message me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this
May the Force be with you!

We do have an IP discussion area here . It may not be exactly what you are looking for as the discussion has centred more on the mechanics and practicality of the programme than the subject-matter itself, but it can be used for that purpose also.

My suggestion would be - take the time to read through other people's journals, and if you come across an interesting idea, PM the member to have a friendly discussion about it. Or, ask if that person (or a group of people) want to meet in chat to bounce some ideas around.

Alternatively, if there is a specific concept that you find yourself struggling with or wanting to learn more about, start a new thread about that concept in particular. You will also find that Knights and Masters will be happy to assist if you PM them with anything that is proving tricky to grasp.

Please note that officially, we require Initiates Programme studies to be completed on an individual basis. We want the views and ideas expressed within to be your own, as this will be helpful both for your learning and for our getting to know you. However, that isn't to say that you can't informally discuss and compare your ideas via some of the methods mentioned above.

Thank you ma'am it is the second time you've helped me today May the Force be with you!

Hi i have no interest in rising through the ranks at the moment, however i will gladly go over any study material with you as i am also new, and open to all people no matter how different we are : )

May the Force be with you

Hey Brian! Would love to partner up for studies!

Brian
I would like to help you with your studies as I am of the same ilk as yourself pertaining to retention of the info.contact me and we can work together
MTFBWY

I'm so very tempted to go through that material again, but before I hit anyone any PMs on this one I'd really want to make sure nobody has an objection... Guess the reason is obvious.
I will try and not be an influence but I'm afraid I might have to do the devil's advocate here and there, if that's of any use to anyone.

I dont think its required you agree with the initiates program, you should be fine.

Gisteron wrote: I'm so very tempted to go through that material again, but before I hit anyone any PMs on this one I'd really want to make sure nobody has an objection... Guess the reason is obvious.
I will try and not be an influence but I'm afraid I might have to do the devil's advocate here and there, if that's of any use to anyone.

Challenging someone as the devil's advocate is certainly useful assuming that person is prepared to be challenged and is ready to learn all they can from it. I personally enjoy interacting with you and at the very least you make me reconsider my own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs on a regular basis. Sometimes your objections lead me to find better support for my own position, and sometimes you make me completely reevaluate it. Either way, I can always learn a lot from it.

Devil’s advocate is an incredibly useful tool in exploring and understanding our own view points. I would say the first part of the IP is to get something from it though.

I think devils advocate is only as useful a tool if you are sincere about it.

I dont play devils advocate, if I am it is because I am sincerely in opposition to the subject matter.

I know many who attempt it without sincerity and it makes for a poor tool.

Khaos wrote: I think devils advocate is only as useful a tool if you are sincere about it.

I dont play devils advocate, if I am it is because I am sincerely in opposition to the subject matter.

I know many who attempt it without sincerity and it makes for a poor tool.

I would have a hard time believing that only exploring one view would give someone a more well-rounded idea of the subject matter. If that is what you are suggesting by claiming to be the Devil’s Advocate? I could have misunderstood your meaning though.

I agree that many are not sincer about what they do. Nor do they attempt to accomplish things by committing themselves 100%. This often leads to poor results or negative results. But that does not make it a failure in my eyes… it creates an opportunity to learn from for future reference.

I don’t believe that any of us ever commit 100% of ourselves to everything we do. And I doubt we will ever be able to do that either. So as I see it, we will always have opportunities created by ourselves to learn from.

PS, after rereading what you wrote a couple times I eralize that my first interprtation of what you said was incorrect. My appologies.

Well, I'm never being contrarian just for its own sake. I can be reluctant to agree and in many of those cases I still assume a hypothetical, and I can disagree whenever I find my existing models in conflict with the ones suggested although I will retract my objections when the challenge has been answered and since I'm no expert on anything yet that doesn't take much either.

Wescli, thank you for your reply (post #156880). I shall refrain from pushing myself onto anyone and leave everyone's studies to themselves as I have before. Thus my policy will be this:

If you (IP student, referred to as you henceforth) are unsure as to the strength or sufficiency of your reply on a piece from the IP, specifically if you feel like it is somewhat one-sided, feel free to ask me to review it privately or publicly before or after you submit it. I could also be available to discuss some of the material and related topics or debate although if you wish that, please ask me about it in advance, since many things I haven't memorized and may not be sufficiently prepared for. Also, please keep in mind that I am neither in a position nor willing to accurately represent anyone's opinion other than my own in that format and a balanced result will not always be possible, especially not when my opinion has a large overlap with yours. Since my positions are often contrary to many of the teachers' here and maybe to some doctrinal, please do not approach me if you are not sure there is a benefit to be gained. If you are unsure, please consult with a TOTJO training master before you decide.

Senan, thank you for your very kind words. I would likely not be quite who I am without this place either.

I think Gisteron and Khaos should stay out of it.

Gisteron wrote: Well, I'm never being contrarian just for its own sake.

Based on our brief exchanges, I find this questionable. I believe that you may not think you are being contrarian, but that doesn't change the fact that you are often blunt and deliberately adversarial. Some people consider this approach rude (even disrespectful) and not everyone benefits from the type of communication or style of debate that you prefer to employ.

Arcade wrote:

Gisteron wrote: Well, I'm never being contrarian just for its own sake.

Based on our brief exchanges, I find this questionable. I believe that you may not think you are being contrarian, but that doesn't change the fact that you are often blunt and deliberately adversarial. Some people consider this approach rude (even disrespectful) and not everyone benefits from the type of communication or style of debate that you prefer to employ.

Hes not denying hes contrarian, just that he is being contrarian for its own sake.

Not everyone benefits from any style of communication, but they are varied just like personalities.

Would you rather he pretend to be other than who and what he is?

It may comfort others, but at what cost to him?

Who does it really help?

Alan wrote: I think Gisteron and Khaos should stay out of it.

I didnt ask to be in it

Still, ouch. :pinch:

I do not know why Gisteron should be refused though, or on what grounds.

Should we have our own water fountains and bathrooms too?

Khaos wrote:

Alan wrote: I think Gisteron and Khaos should stay out of it.

I didnt ask to be in it

Still, ouch. :pinch:

I do not know why Gisteron should be refused though, or on what grounds.

Should we have our own water fountains and bathrooms too?

I think there is a concern that the more direct approach you are both associated with might scare off people just starting out.

But im happy to keep sharing the water fountains

I would be genuinely interested in knowing Gisteron's take on the material in the IP, including the contrast in his views, as well as what he, in fact, does find valuable among studying it. Granted that we all know it is not worth much to agree with everything in any source, I'm curious to see how much of the material he would find his own "bond" with in the light of learning something new for himself. It might be a particularly valuable observation for other members here to witness what he might discover. In any case, I'm sure there are many around here who might find themselves asking the question: "How much can Gisteron bring himself to truly empty his cup?"

Well because of the "not everyone" bit, I didn't call them children to me to preach any sermons to them. I specifically designed my policy such that only those would ask who either know what they are doing or have the approval of one or all the TOTJO training masters whose opinion they value. I'm not here to "poison your youth" or anything. That is part of the reason why I don't go out to discuss the IP with newcomers who may or may not be secure about even being here nor do I post my latest take on it in public.

I did have a journal once and I did complete the IP back in that day. I was however somewhat different from who I am today, so looking over my backups I'm not sure I agree with all of the personal evaluations I made. It is astonishing, looking back, how much change one could see in some cases. I think if I was a training master I would have at least an optional lesson toward the end where the apprentice would scan over her early journal entries and reflect on what has changed since then.