The frustration of talking to a person with a closed mind (page 3)

NAVYTOWN

Next time, just ask him: 'Where exactly do Neanderthals fit into your view of Man's creation???'. Of course he will give some totally prefab, know-nothing answer. No thinking involved. Beyond asking that, why waste your time on him??

Phizzy

Good one Navy Town, I find that if you possibly can get them to research for themselves, almost impossible I know, it is more powerful then me telling them.

So I would ask them to simply Google for the latest findings on Neanderthals and their time on this Earth, and their DNA mixing with ours, and then explain it to me.

Jgnat !!! love that about Cold Calling , I will use that ! I will not call them "Pedlers" though, they will do the usual JW thing of side-stepping the truth of the matter by saying "We give our time and our literature for free", which gets us back to the frustration mentioned by the O.P.

What I find frustrating in particular is that we are battling against their appalling ignorance, we cannot simply make our case, they are like children and have to have every facet explained to them, because the WT has kept them away from so much knowledge.

By the time you have coverd a simple point, that they have not really grasped because they are not really listening, they are thinking of their response, which will have floated away from what you were talking about, you have lost them.

GRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!

Frazzled UBM

Rational debate with an elder or any other deeply committed Witness is a waste of time - they don't follow the rules of an open rational debate - they have all sorts of tactics to avoid facing up to the points you make - you only end up frustrated. I have been there many times. I feel your frustration.

Dismissing servant

Hey! Science and facts doesn't promise him an etarnal life petting lions and pandas.......why the heck should he "believe" in evolution?? This is an example of cognitive dissonance.

Anyhow...keep asking questions.....don't overload him with facts...he is not receptable for facts.

MissFit

I just wanted to say , you never know when something will stick. I like the things you never said.

Maybe next time you can use one of those points. Point out that he just changed the subject orb redifined a word.

My daughter did that to me when we were discussing evolution after a convention part.

I thought I knew what i was talking about.

I was repeating what was taught.

She lookedv at me and said mom I don't think you realize how old the earth is. She went on to

show me some articles. But she would back off when she saw I was getting defensive or not really listening to her.

Now I am more opened minded and we have very interesting conversations.

Dont give up.

TheStumbler

@ dismissive servant. He kept going on about science offering no hope. It's such a non argument. I asked him 'if a Doctor told you that you had cancer it wouldn't give any hope but would that make what he said any less true?'. He missed the point and started talking about the new system.

TheStumbler

Could anyone explain the 'we don't try to convert people' thing? Is that a conmon JW claim?

I'm sure they spin it somehow but how do they not see that are being deceptive? When you were in, did you ever feel uncomfortable with the way you were asked to spin the 'truth'?

Dismissing servant

Yep, it's a non argument..and a thought stopper. That's the way cognitive dissonance works.

Nope, they are not tryingt to "convert people to a religion"...they are preaching the truth" or"spreadinmg the word of Jehovah". Of corurse it's all about semantics, for some reason they don't like the word convert.

jgnat

I agree that most Witnesses are not trying to win converts. They are trying to get enough time in to meet the demands of their organization. So why exactly are they participating in this "life-saving work?" Is it to ensure their own qualification for paradise? After all, there's not much point of being a Witness if you aren't going out witnessing.

I would ask why studies are terminated sometimes? If it is not to win converts, why not continue with a study, mutually sharing and discussing your disparate beliefs?

punkofnice

Confirmation bias = the excuse to believe any old crap you want.

The frustration of talking to a person with a closed mind

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