The Realist Attitude

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BY PHILLIP WITTMEYER

Realists pay particular attention to the action going on around them. Often they like to tell stories about things that have happened to them. There does not have to be any point to the story (fun, knowledge, a moral, etc.) — that it happened is enough to justify it's telling. Realists are concerned with the behavior and activities of other people. They also like to be up on the trends and fashions — whatever is new on the world scene. This makes them rather conventional people, who conform to social norms and institutions. Realists are also often news-hounds.

The complement of Realism is Cynicism. Whereas Cynics put a stop to what is happening, Realists are unable to put a stop to anything. Rather, they are carried along with the situation. If a Cynic and a Realist are discussing something, the Cynic will be brief and negative, and the Realist will be verbose and positive. Whereas Cynics see what is wrong with the world, Realists simply see things the way they are.

The opposite of the Realist Attitude is the Sexual Center. This does not have anything to do with the fact that so many unrealistic attitudes surround sexuality. It does have to do with the fact that Realists have difficulty coming to terms with their sexuality. You might think a Realist would "sleep around", since they approve of action in general. This is not the case. Realists are intent on seeing respect in all action, and a sexual situation must be just right or they perceive the sex act as contemptuous. They perceive themselves and their partner as "cheap" if they do not hold each other in high regard. This limits their sexual experiences, and makes them act ambivalent about the experiences they do have.

The counterpart of the Realist Attitude is the Moving Center. Both are concerned with initiating action. The difference is that Realists are concerned with action outside the person, but the Moving Center is concerned with the action of the person himself. Whereas people in the Moving Center are themselves always in motion, busy with their activities, Realists are attuned to the activities of others. Whereas people in the Moving Center ramble around in the world, Realists ramble aimlessly when they talk — they cannot come to a conclusion, or get to the point, or make a concise, definitive statement. This is a dead giveaway for detecting a Realist.

The Positive Pole of the Realist Attitude is +Perception. Events in life seem transparent to people in this Pole. They commend things exactly as they are, so their vision is not distorted by a need to interpret things otherwise. They regard the world as a continually interesting series of events of unending variety, and they approve — "Let it happen". They see primarily action as it occurs. If there is a meaning or a mood within the action, that is not as important as the bare event itself. Because they perceive external events neutrally, they are rather experimental in their own lives. They give themselves permission to act out whatever suits them. They also readily go along with the suggestions of others. This can of course work to their detriment if the actions are stupid or harmful.

The Negative Pole is -Supposition. The motto of this Pole is, "I suppose so". The person guesses and assumes that everything is OK, and I do mean everything. The last thing a person in this Pole wants to do is show disrespect or contempt. Since such a person sees all sides to every issue, there is little progress in understanding that can occur. People in this Pole are unable to come to a conclusion, and then build on that. Every alternative is seen as equally respectable, so they are wishy-washy. Such people are uncommitted to any particular action, so it is possible for them to be persuaded easily. They will go along with just about anything. When they talk, they ramble endlessly, unable to get to the point. If you ask a person in -Supposition a question to which you expect a simple yes or no answer, you will likely get a lengthy, roundabout discourse that explores every aspect of the question but which arrives at no answer.

The fear that drives -Supposition is the fear of showing disrespect for anything. The way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Complementary Attitude, which is +Contradiction. Use a process of elimination to arrive at a conclusion. Start looking for things that are wrong instead of always seeing everything that is right.

Next page | Pragmatist Attitude

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Phil Wittmeyer is a longtime Michael student and scholar of the teachings. He can be reached at: wittmeyer@hotmail.com