AUTHOR: Sarab DATE: 3:01:00 AM ----- BODY:

Skepticism
1) question the source of the information
2) critically examine the information for intrinsic merit

In my rhetorical analyses, I seem to be adament about ignoring Pathos to the best I culturally and innately can, I trust Logos if I can find it pre-packaged, and I lazily exercise heuristics of judgment on Ethos, or reputation.

I really need to change that, and mature intellectually.

I need to go from that current state to a state in which I critically examine the content itself for its own merit, and pay less attention on the reputation. The Pathos is a good step. The Source Analysis is a good step, now I just need to mature further. Focus on content, now.

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I attract attention to myself. Both positive and negative attention. Some people attend to me wanting to stone me to death, others attend to me, wanting to aid me in my ambitions and goals. Some people just don't give a damn about me, and make that opinion known.

A lot of negative things have been said about "shock jocks", "attention mongers", "immature childish behavior" etc.; but I think the argument goes kind of like this. It goes back to Freud's Id, Ego, and Superego. Everyone has got an Id, and it is the default behavioral guide. So, exercising your Id should be really easy and natural, unless maybe you grew up with severe discipline, or in something like the military. Additionally, acting in accordance with the "pleasure principle" or "Id" is a generally, antisocial way of being. It is antisocial, in the sense that it drives people away from you. Needing to be the center of attention all the time, detracts/diverts/blocks attention from all the other Ids in a particular social group. So, if you are going to strategically use your Id, you should recognize that, it will likely make you, individually, far happier, but that, it will collectively make other people hate you, and want to not be around you. And ultimately, if you drive everyone away, you will have no body who will indulge your Id's free flowing expression, and hence, even lose that individual experience of happiness.

In other words, letting the Id guide you behavior alone, will ultimately lead to loneliness and unhappiness. On the other hand, I don't know the consequences for being a strict middle of the road, egoist, or on the other hand, a stiff upper lip Super Egoist.

I don't have the attention or desire right now to analyze the other 2 modes of being right now.

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I am sick of hearing about how some expert testimonial gives validity to a particular argument. As mentioned above, I too engage in this dispicable practice, but I recognize its flaws and am moving to change my behavior.

Sure, trusting another person's judgment can save you a lot of time and energy in trusting information, but you are still making a leap of faith, based on the "trusted person's judgment [and motivation to tell you the full truth, or to know what information you care about]".

Let the argument or data speak for itself. Individuals are tools, are conduits, are not interesting.

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Try not to be a fundamental extremist.

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What are the chances you will be successful in your life?

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What is it like to be rich? Set for life?

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What am I aspiring to be? to attain?

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How do I get there?

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Information is a commodity. What difference does that make?

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Be angry. Be a racist. Tell the truth. It will set you free, methinks.

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