Provocation seems to be the only way I can actually create a powerful idea or series of ideas. I was bothered by the fact that lately I haven't really had any profound thoughts or the like. I've mainly been worried about school, the future, and any number of very common things. Then I realized why: I have not been provoked by someone in a while. No one has bothered to disagree with me or to express a viewpoint that I care strongly enough to sit down and think about why they're wrong or I'm right. Ultimately, I need someone to mentally prod me.
The process is simple enough. It starts with someone saying or believing something stupid. Fine. They're entitled to their beliefs but just don't expect me to believe it. However, if someone insists upon arguing the topic with me or continues to bring it up or something along those lines, it gets ingrained in my head. Ultimately what ends up happening is that long after they're gone I'll argue with them in my head. I turn the points inside out, argue them, then counter-argue them then rewrite my original argument to include counters to the initial counter-argument. Its an exhausting subconscious process. It happens without my wanting it to, I just can't help it. The end result usually involves a certain amount of research and then compilation of various ideas examined from various view points. My first post was the result of such musings.
Whats really annoying is that this process haunts me. I'll be working, walking, anything that occupies my body and not my mind, and the subject will be there. I'll be running analysis of arguments looking for holes and loopholes. Often, I won't be able to sleep at night, depending on how strongly I feel about the subject. The end result, however, is usually fairly impressive and daunting. I feel a certain amount of accomplishment after having created a very impressive argument, though obviously its not complete. People can always come up with things that surprise me.
People have, in the past, convinced me of things that I did not originally believe. However, this doesn't happen often because rarely has someone thought it through enough to a level where it could even come close to persuading me. Usually what happens is that they say something I don't believe and then I destroy it with counter-examples and the like. Sadly, it seems that all my best work comes from someone provoking into showing them how little they've thought about something. It doesn't even necessarily mean they're wrong, they just haven't thought it through. So, please, if you have heard some stupid belief, tell me. It might produce a response that will be thoroughly fulfilling to me.
