ON BEING “A PRACTICAL PERSON” SUNDAY, 18/05/2008
- Sometimes the assertion “I’m a practical person” can be a not-so-subtle way of implying that anyone promoting an alternative view resides in the zone of impracticality. Sometimes it is also a way of advertising oneself as having a monopoly of practicality and commonsense. (Occasionally what is offered as passing for commonsense is actually common rigidity.)
- Self-proclaiming one’s own practicality is often a way of cloaking more embedded assumptions and positions:
- “I only believe when I can put my hands in the wounds – and I can’t afford the time to invest in exploring these alternative options and ways of thinking….”;
2. “I do not need to test or examine my assumptions”;
3. “Everything that I don’t know is airy-fairy cloud-cuckoo-land stuff that I don’t need
to check out…”;
4. “The limitations of my personal experience and personal knowledge do not affect the
validity or authority of my views…”;
5. “Better doesn’t exist – or, certainly, much better does not exist – and we needn’t
bother or upset ourselves by trying to locate better for purposes of inspiration and
guidance”;
6. “I’ve confirmed the soundness of my views by conferring with like-minded people”;
7. “My mind is closed.”
Signed: Brendan Broderick, CEO