The Fine Art of Speaking Out

                     One would have to be oblivious not to notice the effect of speaking out. This I believe is the key to understanding the Fine Art of Speaking Out. Get used to speaking without feedback. If you want to earn respect, first seek understanding. {"May god grant me the gift to know how others see me."}

                     Let's look at the dissemination of information, as influence. My teacher once said, "Communication is not a two way street." He was talking about how speaking, writing and art are all forms of communication. This in no way ignores the importance of watching, listening and learning. He was just talking about the power of communicating "to" others. Important distinction. Everyone today is told that their voices matter. This is true. Just notice how people react when we speak out. But we are also mistakenly expected to always be listening and nothing could be more wrong. Being expected to always be listening is censorship, pure and simple. The right of refusal demands that we just say no to being forced into silence. Saying no to being told when to listen is communication. It is a right of assertion. Being able to say "No" is an affirmation. "It is the privilege of wisdom to listen." Not the obligation. ("It is the wisdom of privilege that makes me have to speak out." Just say No!)

                     Example; Self expression is often just selfish, often achieving nothing. The bad child expects to be heard. How do we respectfully handle a BAD CHILD, "L'enfant Terrible'." Listening can only go so far. We have to make ourselves heard for the child's protection. At a certain point if our communication fails, sooner or later reality intervenes. Consequences are real. The world communicates "for us," and it doesn't have to listen to us or our trivial complaints. To the contrary. The charge potential is with the communication, along with the responsibility of asserting ones self. I'm not saying that honesty is easily understood, much less unpunished. But I am telling you that you may have come wanting to listen. Hopefully it's because you care. If you do listen I hope you wont be wasting your time. That is the power of communication. You have the right of refusal, tell me when you are not listening.

                   The power that a good communicator exudes is really hot. Power sucks like a vacuum. "All things gravitate towards power. Especially "POWER"." Power is the lifeline of information, and communication is the currency. Putting my research out here for people to read is like sticking my tongue into a light socket while having wet feet grounding me to a metal floor, it's shocking. The hostility can just pour in. I think it is flattery when people stoop to condescend.

                    Reading is a fine art because it involves communicating. One way. Like a good painting by someone who is dead, art communicates to you. Art doesn't care about your comments. Art doesn't listen. If I let myself get bogged down by what someone is trying to say to me, I loose the ability to communicate honestly. I don't need or want validation. I need the protection of being free of distracting expectations, other peoples opinions can often be very oppressive. Censorship is mockery. Feedback is often good for business, but it can be very bad for the free flow of uninhibited expressions of faith, whatever they may be. It should be your right to decide for yourself whether or not you are going to be listening to anything.  

                    Please forgive me for being as honest as I know how to be. This is not another semantics argument. Thanks again if you are able to be receptive to what I'm writing about. If you are reading this, I will predict that you too will be called upon to have to speak out as the authority of your own rights. Good luck on knowing your own sacred receptive audiences. They can be hard to find. People should never be expected to listen. We deserve to be rightfully inspired, and for only the right reasons, at our own choosing. Otherwise the only reason we should have to listen to people who don't listen to us is because we may need to protect ourselves from those who are dis-informed themselves. Usually a person who can "not" listen with you, has had their own boundaries violated by someone else exploiting them, by censoring their need for free expression. (More on the linguistics of violated boundaries later.) Find your voices. What you have to say can be beautiful, and it should be a privilege to get to listen to you.