Continuing from an earlier post, and capturing another wonderful excerpt from Dilip Mukerjea's new book, Conquering Critical Thinking:

HUMOUR IS CRITICAL TO YOUR HEALTH!

In Critical Need of Helping Yourself!

He went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She answered,

“If I tell you, it will defeat the purpose.”

Critical Jaw Jitsu

To speak is to think with the volume turned up.

To talk is to transmit sounds in the absence of thought. To converse is to engage one another in an exchange of mutually enjoyable perspectives. And then of course, there’s verbal combat, argument, dissent, and general noise...all an exchange of ignorance.

Good critical conversation is the harmony between kindred spirits, even if they disagree on matters. It is not an arithmetical summation of two monologues making one dialogue. In the spirit of good conversation, the interacting parties must meet one another with a consciousness that enthuses, illuminates, and intrigues. And silence can be eloquent...especially when it expresses itself by snuffing out the unkind utterance.

Jaw Jitsu is the martial art of verbal combat. Like the pen and the sword, it can harm, or it can heal. Used well, it can express wit and wisdom, mirth nand merriment. May your communication be infused with these qualities.

So jaw jitsu away! The world awaits your critical eloquence.