nemethnm Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 Recently I have found through some much-needed introspection that I have some premises that I'd like to change. The thing is that I'm not sure how one is to go about changing subconscious premises. I know that there are many of you on the forum that are very experienced Objectivists. Maybe some of you know of the procedures or less formal activities that help. I've heard that Dr. Ellen Kenner has made suggestions about how to do this. If she has, does anybody know if she has published her ideas? I thank you in advance for any help that you offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Durande Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 I think the best way to avoid, or even get rid of, faulty premises is to constantly focus outward onto reality when searching for material that your mind which eventually integrate into philosophic truth. I do not think that reading any philosophy, including objectivism will get you out of faulty premises. Imagine living on a deserted island. Could you afford the luxury of a faulty premise there??? No. It is exactly what I tell people who are religious (a whole set of very faulty premises): I tell them that they never would have developed these faulty premises if they had grown up on a deserted island. There simply is no time or need to indulge in nonsense. So, unlike a lot of Objectivists, I wouldn't really reccommend reading or listening to Objectivists. You should instead discover Objectivism for yourself, like Ayn Rand did. I'm not saying that you will, or that I, managed to discover it all on your own. But you would be very suprised to discover that there really is very little involved in leading a rational existence. All one has to do is think. Ayn Rand said it herself jokingly that she was too much of a coward not to be an Objectivist. (Implying that the easiest way to live was actually a dedication to reality and reason.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwakeAndFree Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 Retrain by repetition of the proper behaviour. Keep reminding yourself of the truth, like you would when trying to learn to type on a different keyboard. (This last is an example I've read somewhere on this forum, but I think it's a great one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick N. Posted January 6, 2005 Report Share Posted January 6, 2005 Recently I have found through some much-needed introspection that I have some premises that I'd like to change. The thing is that I'm not sure how one is to go about changing subconscious premises. I know that there are many of you on the forum that are very experienced Objectivists. Maybe some of you know of the procedures or less formal activities that help. I've heard that Dr. Ellen Kenner has made suggestions about how to do this. If she has, does anybody know if she has published her ideas? I thank you in advance for any help that you offer. Have you listened to The Art of Thinking by Leonard Peikoff? If not, I highly recommend it. Much of the material could help with your problem, especially the first section entitled, "Volition as a Means to Clarity." I just finished the course recently and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted January 7, 2005 Report Share Posted January 7, 2005 The thing is that I'm not sure how one is to go about changing subconscious premises. I know that there are many of you on the forum that are very experienced Objectivists. Maybe some of you know of the procedures or less formal activities that help. I've heard that Dr. Ellen Kenner has made suggestions about how to do this. If she has, does anybody know if she has published her ideas? I took Ellen Kenner's course on positive self-change, but I checked the Ayn Rand Book Store and they don't seem to have it listed. It's only a few days until Saturday, so you can call her radio show and ask her yourself. She's great with callers and it is an opportunity for some interaction and personal attention that you can't get from a book or lecture. You can also call and leave your question on her answering machine or e-mail it to her and she will answer it on the air and you can listen online live. Go to http://www.drkenner.com for more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfarmer Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Recently I have found through some much-needed introspection that I have some premises that I'd like to change. The thing is that I'm not sure how one is to go about changing subconscious premises. I know that there are many of you on the forum that are very experienced Objectivists. Maybe some of you know of the procedures or less formal activities that help. I've heard that Dr. Ellen Kenner has made suggestions about how to do this. If she has, does anybody know if she has published her ideas? I thank you in advance for any help that you offer. You may be interested in this article from Dr. Kenner's website: http://www.drkenner.com/emotions.htm The article specifically refers to emotions but you could extend it to help in retraining bad premises, especially since they are most often associated with emotions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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