I apologize for being missing in action for nearly two weeks. July and August are very busy for Mrs. Cog and I and some tasks always suffer from neglect during harvest/repair/cutting/earning-a-living season. Unfortunately my writing has been one of those neglected items on the list.

Actually I have been writing. It's the finishing that's been the problem. Writing for me involves many starts and stops as the article formulates and materializes on the computer screen. This entails lots of meandering, reversing and deleting. You would be surprised how many times I encounter a logic gap and realize that dog don't hunt. I will not post illogical or nonsensical pieces.

The bottom line is I am not a prolific writer. I strive for quality rather than quantity.

Unlike many who sit down knowing exactly what they are going to say, I start with an idea, jot down an opening sentence or two and then watch as it slowly morphs into something concrete. Often I have no idea how it will end because I haven't thought it all out yet. I work through an issue or point of interest as I write, even if I have given it some thought in advance.

A predetermined conclusion never drives my discovery process, the result being an occasional surprise as I arrive at a destination in complete shock how I got there or even where 'there' is.

I make an honest attempt to wash ideology and belief from my thought process and my writing, though to be frank this is nearly impossible. One simply does not ignore decades of conditioning just because they wish it to be so. At best I try to practice mindfulness, being aware I am often unaware of my bias and prejudice.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I hope to have a more substantial piece up within the next few days. Thanks for being patient.

Cognitive Dissonance

This and That - Vol. 1

Lines in the Sand

By

Cognitive Dissonance

When I was younger I would get into intense political and ideological discussions with various individuals from both sides of the aisle. And in America there are usually two sides to every aisle, always perfectly demonstrating the polarization that keeps “We the People” endlessly chasing our tails in tight little circles while our masters loot and pillage to no end.

I tend to be the devil’s advocate and will often take the other side of any discussion, if only to test how factually based and intellectually consistent the other person’s thinking is. No surprise here but they rarely are; unless (of course) they’re using their own unique set of facts to base their deeply flawed argument upon.

Often the ‘discussion’ would quickly devolve into minutiae when the other person is confronted with their own hypocrisy or inconsistency. I am always amazed how fiercely they will cling to some irrefutable ‘fact’ in their argument as if that little gem perfectly supported their entire cognitive fallacy. Continue reading This and That Vol. 1 – Lines in the Sand →

We Are All Going To Die!

By

Cognitive Dissonance

This one is short and sweet folks. The subject alone could fill several books, so I decided to keep it contained to just a few……OK, five pages. With that in mind, I present the basic outline and ask you to let your imagination be your guide. One word of advice; if you find yourself triggered and defending not discussing or thinking about this subject (or screaming at me that you do) you just might be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

I have a motto, a proverb if you will, that neatly encapsulates the root and process of our insanity. It goes something like this…

“We are only as sick as our deepest darkest secrets.”

Those things we do not talk about, especially to ourselves (or if we do, in only the most superficial manner) point directly and inevitably to the root of our insanity. Continue reading We Are All Going To Die! →