# I Will Not Suspend My Disbelief



## Gloranthan (Dec 12, 2022)

I pretty much never stop analyzing and criticizing everything in my environment. I don't care if it's a fantasy novel, what a co-worker is saying, or a slogan on a sign. I'm _always_ going to criticize it and I have neither the inclination nor the ability to stop. I will grant for narrative purposes that nonsensical or poorly rationalized things happen in stories, but I am _always_ conscious of it and I will usually bring it up if I'm discussing the subject. This seems to trigger a lot of people, but I'm just as critical of their taste as I am of anything else. I just don't accept the premise that I ought to stop being critical and logical, ever. I don't find it 'fun', but I do find people trying to dictate how I think extremely tedious. I am, consequentially, very hard to entertain and can pretty much only read 'fantasy masterworks', hard sci-fi or things which contain enough aesthetic elements of my very particular taste to be enjoyable _despite_ not making much sense. But I'm still going to point out all the goofball physics in Superman comics. I don't know how other people 'suspend their disbelief', but I really have no desire to emulate them.

Generally speaking, I'd rather read an economics textbook or an examination of ancient warfare than fiction. I don't like most movies/TV, and cannot sit through them. I would literally rather clean the floor than watch television. At least Pinesol isn't trying to shovel propaganda into my brain.


----------



## CheriptheRipper (Dec 12, 2022)

Do you appreciate a good whodunit? You sound like its intended audience.


----------



## Gloranthan (Dec 12, 2022)

CheriptheRipper said:


> Do you appreciate a good whodunit? You sound like its intended audience.


Of the two fisted and Sherlock variety, yes. I'm very character oriented but I love a well done mystery.


----------



## Amon Rudh (Dec 27, 2022)

You are of course at liberty to criticise everything in your life but personally I adopt more of a critique approach as I feel this is more beneficial to both my own thought processes and the world in general, whilst still identifying aspects that need to be improved (according to my view or my understanding of current evidence at least).


----------



## Gloranthan (Dec 29, 2022)

Amon Rudh said:


> You are of course at liberty to criticise everything in your life but personally I adopt more of a critique approach as I feel this is more beneficial to both my own thought processes and the world in general, whilst still identifying aspects that need to be improved (according to my view or my understanding of current evidence at least).


Well criticism is neutral. But it's worth pointing out logical flaws in internal universe logic. These can often inspire other works that take on problems with the earlier material.


----------



## Amon Rudh (Dec 30, 2022)

I'd critique your idea of criticism and suggest more understanding of the terms 😉. See e.g. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/criticism-vs-critique-marco-romano


----------



## Deimos (Dec 30, 2022)

Amon Rudh said:


> I'd critique your idea of criticism and suggest more understanding of the terms 😉. See e.g. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/criticism-vs-critique-marco-romano


That link was very helpful. Thanks for posting it. 🙂


----------



## Ent (Dec 30, 2022)

Amon Rudh said:


> suggest more understanding of the terms


Agreement with @Deimos. The link article rightly puts the lie to the old excuse: "constructive criticism". In truth, there is no such thing..!
A point some Ent or other has been trying to make with regard to many things, at many times...but certainly has not done it so succinctly as this enables.


----------



## Ent (Dec 30, 2022)

Gloranthan said:


> I do find people trying to dictate how I think extremely tedious.


I trust you therefore treat others the same way you want to be treated... that is, as they should not 'dictate' to you, neither should you (or do you) 'dictate' to them. Their willingness to suspend for the purposes of their enjoyment is no less credible than your unwillingness to do so.



Gloranthan said:


> At least Pinesol isn't trying to shovel propaganda into my brain.


This is certainly true. It is not propaganda that Pinesol shovels into one's brain or system. 

Personally, I fully agree with you: we should *never* stop analyzing and _critiquing_ everything. Though I do not believe my own analysis and critique needs to be displayed to everyone else - and certainly not all the time. It is quite an internal thing.

Plus there's this wonderful additive deduction and conclusion: one who truly applies logic to, analyzes and critiques everything, does not resort to: drugs - an intentional abandonment of the logical, analytic and deductive faculties, and ultimately the physical capabilities as well, to external influences destructive to those prized attributes. 

We do know, of course, that Doyle's writing of Sherlock's use of the "7 percent solution" to theoretically "enhance his powers of thought and deduction" was just Doyle taking on another burgeoning problem of his times. (He did this with many of his Sherlock stories.)

Overall, thank you for identifying yourself and your fundamental nature to us. It makes understanding easier. That said, 'criticism' is both negative and destructive, never 'neutral,' so 'triggering someone' is to be expected as a result, as a proper analysis and critique of a posture such as yours reveals. 

If you truly want to maximize the powers of your logic and analysis, I might suggest (but not 'dictate') you consider eliminating the 'criticism' (negativity) from the equation leaving the logic free to work and analysis free to draw its conclusions and results without the downside of a singular (negative and draining) viewpoint being brought into, and intended as the result of, the encounter with whatever is in view.

To be sure, if I replace the word "criticize" and its other forms with "critique" in your original post, I find a much more relatable scenario altogether.



Gloranthan said:


> I am, consequentially, very hard to entertain


I suspect this may not be entirely accurate. You find your entertainment in doing just as you do, given it seems to be a 'constant' state for you. 

I would suggest, (though not dictate), by opening yourself up just a little bit to other environments, you'll find wonderful new fields for the application of your logic and exercise of your analytic capabilities. Indeed, if you replace "criticize" with "critique" (adopting some very definite differences in approach the two employ by nature), you might find an extreme increase in the "fun" aspect of your life as well. 

As Sherlock said: "Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last."

Education does not occur, and lessons are not assimilated, without constant application of logic, analysis and critique.
Most people muddle through life without achieving any education at all. May we miss no opportunity in our pursuit of it until our last lesson arrives.


----------

