Despite all my years of training in debate and argument,
despite all of my deep thinking of logical reasons for every part of something based on faith,
despite all of my discussions on deep doctrine
i can't do what my RM of a roommate just did,
put something plain and heartfelt into a couple of sentences
Those sentences convinced someone that i have been talking to all year, to do something i never thought possible, one thing i learned in debate, is that to actually convince someone you have to do several things, 1. admit some of their premises (say you are right except for this tiny little thing, even admit they are right if it is something tiny) 2. respond honestly to their questions, don't try to prove a point 3. listen more than you talk,
Yet despite all of these strategies the best way to convince someone is to just simply ask, i hope that i can someday have the power of, not the best educated, eloquent, social, or objective, person that is my roommate. For his power and strength of belief in his ideas, completely overwhelmed my logical arguments that i used.
On a sadder (or happier) note, one of my good friends called off a wedding today; I actually do feel about this (something that doesn't happen often, maybe i am just in a reflective mood), he is to young to get married and should not. Yet that in no way removes any of the pain that he must be feeling now. Sometimes what is right and what feels right are two completely different things.