A wonderfully appropriate Purification to discuss right about now! I'll be pondering it all day and hopefully have something to add this evening.

As an old saying goes, "When arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing."

What is reason.....

"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." ~ Mark Twain

Yep. I like Mark Twain. Could you tell?

Also, my last quote I posted from him has also been attributed to Abraham Lincoln, another great man I like to quote.

I love argument in the context of debate. Nothing like a good old fashion debate to get the intellectual and cerebral juices flowing. Where argument degenerates into war, I believe, is when one feels threatened in one's paradigm and not comfortable enough to agree to disagree, enthuse about how much fun it was to debate the matter at hand, and please, let's continue this fascinating discussion over a friendly latte, shall we?

We would probably avoid a world of hurt, misunderstanding and resentment if we learned not to take ourselves as seriously as we often do.

Just my two cents.

Debate is one of the most potent tools we humans posses to spread and mingle our ideas and conceptions of the world and universe around us. Though, like this purification touches on, arguments are very negative; they cause problems that make one or the other engaged in the argument feel uncomfortable or enraged. Now, we must not forget that sometimes argumentation in the form of teaching is necessary: The teacher needs not necessarily argue, though he/she needs to be strong in voice and opinion to instill his/her knowledge into his/her pupil.

Hotep Imsetra Imsety!

Yes debate is an important tool, but I do not feel it is one of the most potent. Debate is a way for the mind to understand issues better. However if there is no growth in one's own learning, then debating just turns into babbling. I will also say that I beleive arguements can be productive and not necessarily negative. I have had many healthy arguements with those I love, employers, and in many other professional circumstances. The important concept to take about arguements, is not allowing your anger to become involved. There is a big difference in being agressive in arguement versus being assertive. It took me a long time to be less passive-agressive with people and to become more assertive. However I will say that I have a problem still with this, but I am trying to recover.

Em hotep, all!

This Purification has turned many interesting thoughts in my head. "I do not argue without reason." So many scenarios in which this could apply: In the home, with family members about minor inconveniences (put forks tines down in the dishwasher, not tines up!); In the workplace, about paperclip usage; With brothers and sisters in faith, about offering appropriateness... so many. This calls us to examine our hearts and minds and find what in our beliefs is truly worth fighting for, and what is worth stepping to the side quietly without dispute. What are we willing to cause strife for, to risk babbling for?

I feel it carries a corollary, as well. If we are not to argue without reason, does this mean that we are encouraged to argue when there is reason? What shall we do when we are being attacked and when we do need to stand up for ourselves and cause turmoil?

I strive daily to recognize when I should fight and when I should step aside and let the moment go.

I like this purification. It doesn't tell you to never argue, but to only do so for a good reason, like when not arguing or asserting yourself would do more harm.

A big problem with arguements, I believe, is that the participants take disagreement too personally. "I think you are wrong" is interpreted as "I think you are stupid and don't know what you are talking about". This person then feels the need to defend his/her ego. The conversation quickly degenerates into an angry battle of insults and accusations. I have seen two grown men nearly get into a fistfight arguing about what side of the road a gas station was on.

Is it really worth ruining relationships and causing turmoil over such petty things? Or starting an arguement with someone you don't like just so you can "make them wrong" about something completely insignificant?

This is exactly what I meant in my earlier post. All too often, we take ourselves too seriously and thus our egos are that much more susceptible to taking disagreement with our paradigms as personal attacks on our paradigms.