A comment or two will be greeted with warm hands.

23 February 2009

Opposing Comments

Heard of the pro & con analysis?
Its the type of analysis framework used to assess supporting and opposing statement to matter being discussed. We all use the pro & con analysis when faced with decision making moments as it is used to explore the positives and the negatives of an issue.

Funny thing is, most people are incapable of using this method to assess our own beliefs. Your beliefs are absolute: Friends are good, crimes are bad, Happiness is positive and depression is negative. Has it ever occurred to you that friends could be a bad thing, crimes are good, Happiness is a negative thing and depression could be a positive thing?

Though I'm not good at it, but I'm trying learn to see things in the extremes of both negative and positive. Lets use my previous post as an example. The birthday death post, where I attempt to relate birthday with death.

Allow me to point out the positives and negatives in the post:
Positives:
1) As we age, we grow wiser
2) Free Presents
3) The highly anticipated 'Make a Wish' moment.
4) A human life last generally longer than a material thing

Negatives:
1) Heavy emphasis on death.
2) Birthday wish do not come true after a certain age.
3) A material thing generally expire faster than a human life

The real reason to that post is to practice my ability to give a a negative event a good image or in this case, a positive event (birthday) a bad image (death). If you take the time to think about this post, you generally have a rough idea on whether you are a positive or a negative person depending whether your main focus was on free gifts or death. If however you did not take the time to think about this, then its natural to think negatively because the main focus of the article was on death.
Anyways I received two extreme comments from an anonymous commenter and curryegg:

Anonymous:
I feel sorry for you. Of all the wonderful things in the world, u chose to be oblivious of it and what u have here are all cynical and hardly sarcastic posts.
No wits or watsoever, coz wat i see is tat ur struggling for a special topic and try to spice it up a little to make it look like something special. The way u've done it so far? Being cynical and running into dead-ends every single time, as if tunnel vision is wat u got.
Not tat i'm a hater or anything, but seriously dude, u gotta keep ur mind open and view things differently.

Curryegg:
Good post kif and I can see your 'equation'. You got your points. It is good to remind others that we are getting nearer to our deathbed during each year birthday. It will remind us to appreciate life, people around us and enjoy the remaining days with something beneficial.
As like what you have mentioned, we shall see birthday in another perspective which at the end will give another positive thought. That's what I believe as well.. So, shall I wish you... a Happy Death Day, kif?


Here are some contradicting points
Anonymous: Tunnel vision is wat u got. U gotta keep your mind open and view things differently.
Curryegg: As like what you have mentioned, we shall see birthday in another perspective.

Anonymous: u chose to be oblivious
Curryegg: I can see your 'equation'

Both are good comments, both have their own valid points. Strange thing is, one comment contradicts with the other. Its like saying: "If white is the opposite of black, then I'm looking at a document with black wordings and white background. How is it possible that two opposing entities exist in the same environment?"


[Top Comment by: SK]
quote: "If white is the opposite of black, then I'm looking at a document with black wordings and white background." Interesting, but an actual fact, rather. How would u be able to view a document of white background, bearing white wording?
So u see, it is in fact the contrast of two very different things that allow us to differentiate and ultimately, form an opinion which, in ur case, good or bad. Now what makes a good or bad nature of things? Well, take ur document analogy for example. Is that the black wording on a white background that allows u to see the wording itself? Or is that the white background with the words "cut-out" that creates the illusion of the wordings existence?
Think of it as the LCD monitor that u r looking at now, u might think that it is actually the black wording itself allows u to see them but in actual fact, it is the white backgroud with the pixels that form words itself being turned off, resulting in a pattern that resembles a black wording on a white background.
Points to be taken? Well, lets not be too judgemental. Rather than emphasizing wat is good and wat is bad, which at often times are only but separated by a fine line, focus on the ability to pin-point the difference between any 2 entity at any given time. Practise that hard enough and u will be able to read the white wordings on a white background.

10 comments:

Lisa said...

hmmm well God create the universe with Yin and Yang.

so it is normal to have opposing entities in same environment ;)

like me & you in this blog, you post & i comment..

foongpc said...

Because there's no positive and negative. It's all an illusion of the human mind. People always think this is good, that is bad. Or this is white, that is black. But how good is good? And what is white without black? : )

Anonymous said...

quote
"If white is the opposite of black, then I'm looking at a document with black wordings and white background."
unquote

interesting, but an actual fact, rather. How would u be able to view a document of white background, bearing white wording?

So u see, it is in fact the contrast of two very different things that allow us to differentiate and ultimately, form an opinion which, in ur case, good or bad.

Now what makes a good or bad nature of things? Well, take ur document analogy for example. Is that the black wording on a white background that allows u to see the wording itself? Or is that the white background with the words "cut-out" that creates the illusion of the wordings existence?
Think of it as the LCD monitor that u r looking at now, u might think that it is actually the black wording itself allows u to see them but in actual fact, it is the white backgroud with the pixels that form words itself being turned off, resulting in a pattern that resembles a black wording on a white background.

Points to be taken? Well, lets not be too judgemental. Rather than emphasizing wat is good and wat is bad, which at often times are only but separated by a fine line, focus on the ability to pin-point the difference between any 2 entity at any given time. Practise that hard enough and u will be able to read the white wordings on a white background.

DH said...

people can easily differentiate things that is 'totally good' or 'totally bad'...but the problem lies when most of our life issue is not totally good or totally bad...its in the middle...thats why we need to take one simple thing towards what you call as extreme good & extreame bad....its good for us to be more mature & understand our own life i guess..

Anonymous said...

there's no really such thing as u r right and i'm wrong. we could only share what we know, it should not matter whether the audience accept or not.

3POINT8 said...

[Lisalicious]
Wuahaha. Thats a very weird analogy. Let me repay the favour - you blog, I comment
XD

[foongpc]
There is no positive and negative. Does it mean that all there is is neutral? Wow, that is a pretty radical thinking. This would make a good blogpost. Thanks

[SK]
Well said!
"Focus on the ability to pin-point the difference between any 2 entity at any given time. Practise that hard enough and u will be able to read the white wordings on a white background."

your example of the LCD monitor is freaking good! I never would have thought of it. thanks for the idea

3POINT8 said...

[Hurul_Aini]
True. Grey would be lighter than black and at the same time darker than white. So, grey is both light and dark.

[renaye]
Right or wrong? I didn't mention anything about right and wrong, did i? Nor did i mention which comment is better than the other. I'm just sharing the extremes.
=D

Charlie said...

when there's black, there's white;
when there's good, there's evil.

We can't judge black if there's no white,
We can't say right if there's no wrong.

How we see things become how things are to us. Good or bad, it is done.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
3POINT8 said...

[Blue]
Wow, that is a good one! Reminds me of Haiku
:P