Summarising ‘The Truth’
The idea that there is an objective truth, was invented by Plato. Strong defence of The Truth diminishes the thinker’s ability to escape from his viewpoint to find a much better or more likely truth. This cognitive condition, or meme, is called PTV, Plato Truth Virus.
Aristotle imbedded PTV in his syllogism. This was picked up by Thomist doctrine and became the basis of logic. Western education has made a god out of logic and the ‘search for certainty’.
The Western education system was set up by the medieval Church and spread throughout Europe and exported to other parts of the world with missionary zeal. Even today, children are sent to school, their young brains programmed with the logic operating system, and then they’re given the impression that all they have to do in life is “to get the right answer” or “tell the truth”.
Only Microsoft’s global export of Bill Gates’ DOS has ever rivalled the Vatican’s global export of Thomas Aquinas’ PTV.
PTV is ubiquitous. Manifestations can be annoying like in Space Gluttons and Bores or fatal like in Bullies and Righteous and Sightless thinkers. Over 26 million humans may have been destroyed last century directly due to PTV.
Unfair Conclusion?
It is only with the unfair advantage of hindsight that one is able to look back on the evolution of our thinking habits and consider the consequences that they may have produced.
Did Plato ever realise what might happen as a consequence of the ideas that emerged from those Bacchanalian dinner parties he attended on those hot Athenian summer nights?
Did Saint Thomas Aquinas ever anticipate how rigorously later popes would prosecute his ideas and make them the core doctrine of the greatest education enterprise in history?
To be fair, I don’t see how they could. Plato and Thomas were not villains. I imagine they were just doing what interested them most at the time and hoping for a modest amount of success.
Could Bill Gates ever have known he would become the richest business man in the world when he first developed DOS? In his book he says he once remarked to Paul Allen that a million dollars was a huge amount of money, and he could never imagine having more than that.
Hmmm 😉
«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE DFQs
The biggest challenge for me, as a trainer, is to figure out how to get trainees to understand the direct connection between the number of DFQs they do and their personal increase in these skills.
Have a think and see if you can give me just one idea (based on your own experience of doing this training so far) on how I can help future trainees to increase their number of DFQs and therefore increase the level of their training benefits. Thank you.
«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««
DFQ #059:
Give an example of how your life been influenced by the ideas of Plato and Aquinas?
I believe that the best way to help future trainees is more “personal engagement” in the sense that the SOT trainee can get feedback on their DFQ’s as this will further enhance the thinking about that DFQ because the trainer has added another view to the situation.
I have been influenced by Plato because there have been many times where I “thought I was right” and defended my view point to then find out that there is evidence that does not support my view. This has also allowed me to learn from these situations and thanks to SOT training can now become aware of the affects of PTV.
I first did thinkers training with Michael over 10 years ago when it was done via email, while doing the first course I was amazed how my mind opened and my thinking blossomed, I used to think of things as true or false, right or wrong, once a light shone in my mind I found I could be a lot more creative and it’s ok having a different view point and striving for a bvs.
Michael you asked the same question back then on getting students to reply to DFQ and I mentioned it would be great to see what other students were replying with, now we can see that. You also mentioned you would occasionally email reply to the feedback given, so one of my goals was to try and get a response back from you which I did a couple of times, perhaps some occasional feedback on the feedback would be good. In the end the will to give daily feedback comes down to the end user, they have to want to change from cvs2bvs, I reply to all DFQ but sometimes my answers aren’t as insightful on every occasion but I at least write down something, that way it becomes more PRR for me.
I can honestly say that I have been a slave to logic for all my life- it’s the only viewpoint I’ve known to take.
Perhaps understand that PTO is not necessarily conducive to engagement for some, regardless of how relative it is.
I think PRR will increase their training benefits.
Formalities has been the only manner of doing things
As my vocation is built on finding different solutions, I am not interested in being universally right, but in being right enough with as much flexibility as possible.
What I have learnt from the lessons is to keep on questioning myself when I make decisions, am I trying to squeeze the best outcome from myself, or get the best outcome for as many people as I can.
I have found reading the history lessons very interesting.
I was brought up to always try to solve problems and look for different ways to do this as the first way might not always be the best. Secondary school was always about the right answer but I enjoyed religious studies as that was a time open discussion was expected and while we were lead to believe there was a right answer, we all knew that to be incorrect. This was openly admitted when we court up with some of these teachers later in life.
I try to give the right answer ,or at least I try to give the answer that the system wants; this happen in school every day and kills creativity, sir ken robinson is very strong about this point and explains how we need to change education paradigm
I don’t find ways that I have been influenced with the Plato virus for which I am most grateful.
How to increasing number of DFQs answered?
My plan is to read the lesson ideas and then move away to listen and be open. Later in the day, or the next day, I read the information again,and even more times, if need be, until ideas have come to thought. Then I answer on a word document and allow editing before I copy and paste onto the FEEDBACK section.
Michael, could you some how graph the results of the number of DFQ’s against the partispants in SOT to give a graphic to encourage future trainees? I am one of those people who are stimulated by visual information. I find it beneficial to see the coronation of data between cause and effect and results of participation. I know people who opted out of your early training, and I’m not surprised they did so because of their closed mindedness and inability to move to a BVS even for a moment, to see the benefits of completing x10 only. Personally I have noticed I have become more creative in general and my thirst for knowledge has blossomed. I want more for myself and my family, not just coasting along and accepting my Plato logical training lifestyle to be all there is in life. My mind is busily looking for better ways to achieve better results and seeking opportunities for the future. Watch this space…