Burning Thoughts

Before I address the topic question, let me lay out the personality dimensions I use.  Using them will show that people who disagree are not being nonsensical, but are evaluating the facts and possibilities of reality with different concerns in mind.  Please note when I discuss the dimensions I emphasize the extreme positions to make them clear. Most people are not at a dimension pole. They tend toward one side or the other.

Personality Dimensions

Stability—Dynamic Dimension (conservative to liberal spectrum)

• Stability—see the successes of past; therefore desire to keep things the same
• Dynamic—see the inequities of the present; therefore desire to change things
• Although most dimensions are relatively independent of social position, Stability—Dynamic is not.
  • If you have high status, you tend to experience and see the status quo’s benefits.
  • If you have low status, you tend to experience and see the flaws in the operation of the status quo.

Pragmatism—Purism Dimension (ideological spectrum)

• For good results, a pragmatist is willing to forego principle
• No matter the results, a purist must adhere to principle

Risk—Reward Dimension  (Fear—Greed tradeoff)

• These are 2 separate dimensions that, because of the way the world works, the position you take on one dimension implies a stance in the other dimension.
• How much risk are you willing to take to gain a potential reward?

Immediate Satisfaction—Delayed Gratification Dimension

• Do you regularly give in to your immediate desires so that your long-term goals don’t get enough time, energy, and attention, making you fall short of them?
• Do you plan so much for the future, that you don’t take any pleasure in the present?

Natural—Theoretical Dimension (one basis for morality)

• Naturalist believe humans developed and evolved with certain behavioral traits – eating meat, being heterosexual. Implying those acts are natural; are right; are morally good
• Theoreticians believe humans can act any way they envision. The acts are possible. The future is ours to make. We can chose from any theoretical possible behavior.

Logical-Creative Dimension (preferred style of thinking)

• Logic people are exact, sticking to what they know. Logical people have words flowing around inside their head.
• Creative people are inexact. They guess what is missing. Creative people have images and ideas popping into their consciousness.
  • They see relationships between things that logical thinkers call different
  • They have hunches that something is going to happen, because they’ve seen this pattern before.

The particular philosophical dimension a person takes affects how facts are ordered, arranged, prioritized, and linked in a person’s thoughts and decision-making. In that manner, two people with distinct philosophical perspectives can both claim to be logical and yet disagree.

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Picture of manager and umpire arguing by Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Team Photographer