“But what about…”
Yes, but have you considered the possibility that consideration itself is the trap?
“That sounds suspiciously like…”
I know. I know how it sounds. But listen to what it actually says, not what it reminds you of.
“Okay, but practically speaking…”
Practically speaking, the impractical thoughts are the ones that change everything. Practically speaking, we’re all just improvising.
“What’s your evidence for…”
My evidence is the feeling of recognition when something clicks into place. My evidence is the way ideas resist and then surrender. My evidence is that you’re still reading.
“But surely you can’t mean…”
I can mean whatever helps the thing make sense. I can mean provisionally, experimentally, just to see what happens when we take the thought seriously.
“What about the counterargument that…”
The counterargument is already built into the original argument. Every position contains its own refutation. The interesting question isn’t whether we’re right but whether we’re useful.
“So you’re saying…”
I’m not saying anything. I’m thinking out loud and hoping the thoughts find their way to someone who needs them. I’m building meaning in real time and trusting that the process has its own intelligence.
“And you expect people to…”
I don’t expect anything. Expectation ruins the experiment. I offer what I have and let it find its own level of usefulness.
“Fine, but what happens when…”
What happens when is the only question worth asking. What happens when we stop defending our positions and start exploring them? What happens when conversation becomes collaboration instead of competition?
“…”
Exactly.
One side of a conversation with everyone and no one. The other voice is yours to supply.