Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Get out of New Jersey while you still can

Jinn · 12-21-2007, 09:52 AM

dksuddeth, I recommend you read How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.

On most issues, I agree with you. Unfortunately, you'll never change minds by demanding, arguing, and denigrating. It's just not how people work. I think you could be a very powerful social activist, if you only honed your ability to convince others to join your side.

Again, I HIGHLY recommend the book; not just for you, but for anyone who wants to evoke social change by convincing others that your position is the correct one.

As a matter of fact, I think everyone in the OP could've benefited from a little "people training" - even if he was extremely intoxicated, it is very possible that they could've civilly convinced him to concede.

"This is just something we have to do, it'll get you out of here faster..
"We're doing this for your safety and ours.. don't you want to be safe?
"If you let us take your blood, we'll stop bugging you!"
"Now we understand that you might be upset at us, but do you really want to hurt this young lady drawing your blood?"
"You don't seem like a violent person. Do you really want to be violent? Maybe we misjudged you?"

Etc, etc. There's a billion ways to diffuse a situtation without violently holding someone down. And if they took him to the hospital, they had plenty of time to use those techniques.

Maybe having an alcoholic father as a child helped me learn how to peacefully dissolve another person's irrational (or drug-induced anger), but I think that police training should definitely match the time spent on firearms with time spent on people skills.

12-21-2007, 09:52 AM	#23 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	dksuddeth, I recommend you read How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. On most issues, I agree with you. Unfortunately, you'll never change minds by demanding, arguing, and denigrating. It's just not how people work. I think you could be a very powerful social activist, if you only honed your ability to convince others to join your side. Again, I HIGHLY recommend the book; not just for you, but for anyone who wants to evoke social change by convincing others that your position is the correct one. As a matter of fact, I think everyone in the OP could've benefited from a little "people training" - even if he was extremely intoxicated, it is very possible that they could've civilly convinced him to concede. "This is just something we have to do, it'll get you out of here faster.. "We're doing this for your safety and ours.. don't you want to be safe? "If you let us take your blood, we'll stop bugging you!" "Now we understand that you might be upset at us, but do you really want to hurt this young lady drawing your blood?" "You don't seem like a violent person. Do you really want to be violent? Maybe we misjudged you?" Etc, etc. There's a billion ways to diffuse a situtation without violently holding someone down. And if they took him to the hospital, they had plenty of time to use those techniques. Maybe having an alcoholic father as a child helped me learn how to peacefully dissolve another person's irrational (or drug-induced anger), but I think that police training should definitely match the time spent on firearms with time spent on people skills. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel Last edited by Jinn; 12-21-2007 at 10:02 AM..