This is a pet peeve of mine. That is, people talk from positions of knowledge all the time, but they neglect to actually test their positions to see if they stand up to, not opinion, but facts/common sense, or the arguments own parameters. One can see this “peeve” in action with my conversation with actor Michael Berryman. You see, one of the only ways to test your opinion on a matter to see if it is truly founded in a knowledgeable position is to see if it withstands the test of the real world. That is, learn to converse well and throw your ideas out in conversation to see how they return. Typically, this means talking to others not of the same mind (which would be a sound room/echo chamber) but to those who would politely differ. (One should take note that charged or emotional responses/defenses are not ad hoc impolite.) I will post my example of this phenomenon below and it is a question I typically ask to judge whether I am speaking with someone who is concerned about the truth of the matter or just getting their own opinions validated:

I often bump into people that have watched some or most of the following “documentaries” I likewise own and have watched all on the following list (one should take note that some of these are shown in public school classrooms):

• Bowling for Columbine
• Roger and Me
• Fahrenheit 9/11
• Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
• Sicko
• An Inconvenient Truth
• Loose Change
• Zeitgeist
• Religulouse
• The God Who Wasn’t There
• Super-Size Me

But rarely do I meet someone of the opposite persuasion from me that have watched any of the following (I own and have watched):

• Celsius41.11: The Temperature at Which the Brain Dies
• FahrenHYPE 9/11
• Michael & Me
• Michael Moore Hates America
• Bullshit! Fifth Season… Read More (where they tear apart the Wal-Mart documentary)
• Indoctrinate U
• Mine Your Own Business
• Screw Loose Change
• 3-part response to Zeitgeist
• Fat-Head
• Privileged Planet
• Unlocking the Mystery of Life