[MF] reality: interactions or quality?

[Muzikhed at aol.com]

Kevin said - 

Ted, you  mentioned "[getting] to the point quicker."  Other than the
enjoyment  of a thoughtful and engaging conversation I'm not sure there is
a point to  my questions


Ted replies - 
 Right.  Sorry, I realized afterwards that it's not about  speed.  I'd do 
better to slow myself down.    I wrote a 1500  word reply the other day, but did 
not send it, as I felt it repeated some  mistakes I made in an earlier attempt 
to communicate.  Too much, too  fast.  
 
I am reminded of that concept of cognitive resonance.  It is just a  way of 
thinking about your feelings about your thoughts.... I guess.  It  says:
 
 
 
 
1) If you generally respect a person, and agree with them on a significant  
issue, there is a cognitive resonance - a harmony.
2) If you generally respect a person, but disagree with them on a  
significant issue, there is a dissonance - a dis-harmony.
 
 
3) If you generally do not respect a person, but agree with them on a  
significant issue, there is a cognitive dissonance - a dis-harmony.
4) If you generally do not respect a person, and also disagree with them on  
a significant issue, there is again a cognitive resonance - a harmony.
 
When communicating with you, I have felt an increasing sense of 2)  
dissonance.
I've come to respect your integrity amidst much disagreement.
It is simply a frustrating feeling, but this is to be expected.  No  fault, 
no blame.
 
As the MoQ points out, we need to keep the social level stable, so that we  
can continue the intellectual discussion.  With too much dynamic  interaction, 
we could lose the static structure we need to make progress toward  a better 
(more harmonic) state.  
We need the freedom to let our ideas out, or it would be dull, and  
worthless.  But we also do not want too much freedom.  We need social  constraints like 
respect and patience, too much  freedom would cause a break down, a loss of 
the platform we now  have.
So, we go forward into the unknown.   There is tomorrow, and we  have no idea 
what could come.   
 
Maybe I'll get back to those 1500 words someday, and make them  better.
 
Ted