View source for Comm-Link:Plain Truth - Barstool Wisdom

Words have the power to inspire, but they can also backfire. My name’s [[Parker Terrell]] and I’m here to clear away the cloud of confusion with the '''Plain Truth'''.

I want to start off today talking about a recent comm I received from a passionate individual. A firm believer in the truth, he was looking to enlighten his friends as to what is really going on in this Empire. Unfortunately, he found himself having problems convincing them. He relates in the comm how their stubbornness leads to him sometimes getting overly passionate, i.e. screaming his head off. He wanted my advice on how he could go about converting his friends and not lose all of them in the process.

I tried to explain to him that the way we deliver our message is as important as the message we deliver. History has proven that words determine how wars are waged and won. We can’t just win the war of ideas; we must also win the war of words.

Turns out, he just started arguing with me, so it seemed like a good idea to address this issue with the rest of you.

With that in mind, I contacted [[Clair Rios]] and asked if she could come on and help explain that subtle distinction. Clair is a [[Nyx system|Nyx]] resident, and proud owner of [[Café Musain]] in [[Levski]], so she knows a few things about conversing with a wide range of people. She was kind enough to take a little time out of her supply run to swing by the show and chat.

As a lifelong resident of Levski, Clair believes in many things that I don’t care for or that I even find foolish, like the complete overthrow of the [[UEE]] government. Yet I’m always willing to hear her out and sometimes even find myself slightly persuaded by her arguments. That’s why I asked her here today to teach how to best argue your beliefs without driving the opposing party away. Thanks for doing this, Clair.

But if the goal of the conversation isn’t to convince them you’re right, then what’s the end goal?

Bet that rubbed you the wrong way.

Turns out the boy had a rough and tumble upbringing and lost all faith in anyone and anything but himself. Claimed he had to live life the way he did to survive, and couldn’t stand the idealistic “empower the people” message of Levski. That’s why he always avoided talking to me.

I’ll be straight with you, Clair. The tenets of Levski have always sounded to me like a ‘head in the sand’ approach to fixing problems. Sealing yourself away from the universe is no way to change it.

Instead, I told him about the freedom I felt in Levski, being a part of a caring community without being burdened by the imperial yoke. He already understood self-reliance. All he needed to see was the benefits of a community. That’s how you reach those who see things differently. Not by painting a picture of what’s wrong but by showing them how your way makes things right.