“No, dude, you’re wrong. I promise.”
“Um, I think we should maybe…”
“I’m telling you, I know what I’m talking about.”
“Do you? Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure, you know I’m a crappy poker player. I never bluff.”
“Yea, but that just means you’ve convinced yourself that you’re right. You haven’t convinced me.”
“Whatever. I know I’m right.”
“How do you know?”
“What the bananas does that mean? How do I know?”
“Just that. How exactly do you know?”
“I just know.”
“You just know? How exactly do you know? If I didn’t know anything about the situation, nothing at all, how exactly would you be able to describe to me in detail, so that I would, without question, agree that you are correct, and this other guy over here, which is actually me, is wrong?”
“Dude, what?”
“How exactly do you know that you are right? Please explain.”
“Well, I don’t know, know, but I know. You know?”
“Actually, I don’t. Can you do any better?”
“Dude, are you messing with my head?”
“Are you messing with your head?”
“Huh? Ok, now you’re just being silly.”
“Does me being silly change the fact that you’ve convinced yourself that you know something so much that you can’t describe it to an imaginary person, standing right over here?”
“No. I don’t think I know it, I just, wait, what?”
“Are you starting to doubt yourself? Or are you just now finding out that there was doubt there all along, and you are just now realizing it? Or perhaps that the doubt was never there, and you are merely having questions regarding your own knowing?”
“Ok, I’m gonna go watch TV or something, you are giving me a headache.”
“So do you concede? That you aren’t really sure?”
“Sure about what?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“Dude, I don’t… I mean… I just… Ok. Fine. You win.”
“I didn’t realize we were fighting.”
“Ok, Ok, please. Just stop. You’re right. Of course. Now I can see it. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Please come back often to read tips and insights and other explorations into the structure of thought for your personal improvement and entertainment. And please share this site with your friends, as many others have done.