He should approach with curiosity, not cynicism. (Harald Eia who has made a TV series about nature & nurture which I find skewed, one-sided, cynical, polarizing, and more destructive than constructive.)
- True?
Yes. At times, it seems true. - Sure it is true?
No. It is just a temporary feeling. Fleeting opinion. - What happens when I take that story as true?
- I am convinced I am right. I feel it is right. I can find stories supporting it. In my mind, I find people who agree.
- I tell myself I am right, he is wrong. Also, he is thick-headed who refuses to see it himself.
- He takes the worst examples among Norwegian researches instead of the best. He overlooks those with nuanced and informed views, and brings focus on those with one-sided and extreme views. He creates a wrong impression about Norwegian scientists. He fuels science-hostility among people. He polarizes the situation.
- He is more interested in drama than fairness. He sets out to prove his position, even if it means misrepresenting the situation.
- By polarizing and creating drama, that’s where it ends. He overlooks the juiciness and richness that comes from a more nuanced and balanced approach.
- He creates tabloid TV and tries to make it look like a serious documentary.
- He fuels science-hostility which does not serve anyone. He is not aware of the consequences of what he is doing.
- He should have approached the theme with curiosity and interest. That is how you open a topic up. That’s what people learn from. That’s where you can go much further in exploring the topic. That’s where you find the real richness and juiciness of the topic. He should have learned from good, solid presenters like David Attenborough and his nature documentaries, Alan Alda with his Human Spark series, Michael Palin with his travel series.
- I get hot under the collar. Worked up. Want to talk with someone about it. Want to sort it out for myself.
- I feel disappointed, even sad. This was a great opportunity to explore a fascinating topic in a level-headed way, and all he does is create drama and polarization. I tell myself it is a wasted opportunity.
- When did I first have that thought? A long time ago. Any time I see a documentary that tries to create drama, instead of approaching with curiosity and interest, gradually revealing the fascinating aspects of the topic.
- Who would I be without it?
- I would be more open to the situation. Open to see the validity of his approach. I can see that he has a point, even if I still don’t agree that his strategy is the most productive one. I can also see that he may not be interested in a productive approach. If that was his goal, he would have done it differently. He may be more interested in entertainment and “good TV”. Also, I recognize that his approach brings a lot of attention to the topic, which may be good in the long run even if it looks mostly messy, polarizing, and misinformed right now.
- Turnarounds.
- He shouldn’t approach with curiosity
- No. that may not be his motivation for exploring the topic. He says himself he is upset that he didn’t hear about the evolutionary approach when he was a student, and want to expose those responsible for it.
- It may not be he way in general. I don’t know. Again, he said he was not an actively curious student.
- It triggers beliefs in me, which I then get to explore.
- He should approach with cynicism
- Yes. That may be his motivation. (I don’t even know if he does approach with cynicism, that’s just my interpretation. And another inquiry.)
- He should approach with cynicism in my own mind
- Yes, because I need to see something there. I am using him to see and get to know something in myself. It is myself I am seeing in him.
- I should approach with curiosity
- Yes. The advice is for myself. I am drawn to approaching this situation with curiosity. Without curiosity, I do all the things I see in him. With curiosity, there is a chance for me to dislodge myself from familiar viewpoints and learn something new.
- I shouldn’t approach with cynicism
- Yes. Cynicism closes down. Curiosity opens up. Again, the advice is for myself. It feels good to recognize that. It feels like coming home.
- He shouldn’t approach with curiosity