How to communicate with people who can't understand abstract concepts? (Page 4 of 4)

However, it is a bad place to conduct an experiment where readers are lumped into the indifferent category rather than acknowledging the fact that calling upon everyone to participate is ineffective in the first place and also that there are no strong opinions in this debate, just strong emotions.

titmouse, you speak from a detached perspective.  We are your peers, not your students.  Your methods of sharing your knowledge is offensive to most people, and I can understand how you would interpret that as sad and predictable behavior.  But what you fail to understand is that your soul's interpretation of experience is a world or two away from the consensus and from your realm, learning is a less visceral experience.  (I suppose you'll just have to take my word for it.)  You believe that you've transcended the psychological angst and struggles that most of us are still working through.  But I caution you to not get seduced by this age old trap... it's a false sense of ascended awareness through over-feeding the ego, resulting in a detached experience.  To be effective, information (lessons, experience, knowledge, information in general) must be communicated in an understandable, direct manner.  We all perceive things in our own way and grow our own worlds around our experiences, but it's just common human courtsey (respect) to share our perceptions in an understandable manner.  Otherwise, we just get misinterpreted, and over time, we get so used to being misinterpreted that we build a wall up around that communication error and think it's other peoples' problems (and predictably so).

I'm afraid that your attempted demonstration here (of people's inability to accepts and discuss abstractly) only served to alienate most people who've read this thread.  Although, I know that was your original intention.  You set it up that way, to evoke specific responses that will prove your point.  But that is utterly disrespectful to everyone who did and did not respond to you.  Hell, I was pissed off too... until I spontaneously "popped" into your "world" (perspective) this afternoon while mowing the lawn.  Your experience is quite peaceful as are your intentions (or that's the way you see it).  I now understand that, but I wasn't quite sure what to say (or if to say anything at all) to you.  I have to admit that I prefer my perspective.  I'll take the whiplash sensations of reality; the anst and struggle; all of it... that's the reason I came here... to experience life on a visceral level.  An "ascended perspective" is fun to visit during meditation, but it's more fun to be able to sample *all* that life and spirit has to show us and get some sand in our shoes doing it.  Sharing what we learn wisely is the challenge and the measure of our hearts.

Peace

Good thread! 

I think there is a good point raised here in questioning if all people are capable of reasoning in an abstract manner.

At this point I would have to say, emphatically, no.  Though some time ago I would have said just as emphatically, yes. 

I think if we look at the evidence in our own experience, we can see numerous examples of people who just don't seem to be able to make the leap.  They may be intelligent, well-educated, even witty, yet there still seems to be this line that they just can't/won't cross. 

What is especially strange is that I've noticed in some individuals is an uncanny ability to sense when an abstract concept is about to be expressed, and to turn the conversation in a different direction.   Very weird, since this ability can't reasonably be explained without abstraction. 

The problem/conflict I keep running into is the issue of elitism.  I'm reminded of the book "The Fifth Sacred Thing" where a subpopulation of people were genetically bred and raised to believe that they did not have souls, and could never get them.  So, kind of a slippery slope there. 

Nevertheless, I find people in my life who I am acquainted with, and even care about, with whom I won't even bother to bring up certain topics.  There's just no point.  They're not going to "go there" no matter what.   

I also have noticed that I seem to have rather poor judgment regarding who will "go there" and who will not.  I'm often surprised at how I will be so sure that somebody is "ready" to pop the red pill, and they will back away, sometimes quite forcefully.  And then somebody else who I never thought would go there dives right in with the slightest encouragement.

A curious conundrum.. .

The ego prefers certainty. Abstract thinking is an excercise for the subjective. Art is a wonderful vehicle for communication of such concepts. I like to use poetic expression because it embodies the nature of the soul. I refer to it as the language of the soul.

Is it you or is it me? (just wondering)

"I looked to the stars and what did I see?
An impassioned reflection; quite profound, yet still;
I pondered the Heavens for most a fortnight
Pierced was my tender heart by rays of insight;
The answers came freely
Wisdom born of the ages
Lest I free the masses from their cages;
Reflected was the beauty of billions of souls
Wishing and wandering in eons sublime
Searching for meaning between space and time;
Without form or shadow or resounding fear
Their time meant nothing, just memories in vain
Free to exist without purpose or reason
Crying the rain back onto the Earth
Missing the deserts where emptyness lurks
Filling the rivers with soul blood and mirth;
Loving the dust and the winds of change
Yearning for chances to struggle with pain;
After fourteen days and nights of reflection
I came to my senses and what did I find?
Visions in the night that shown so clear
Was nothing less than a mirror of me."

~~carefulcarpenter