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Originally Posted by pdamoc  I saw it as violent. This is how I perceived it. I know I'm subjective and I know different people see it differently BUT my intuition says that this kind of an approach does more bad than good. It shuts communication channels. |
I used to make that same assumption when I first started blogging -- you'd naturally think this kind of article would backfire and turn people away, wouldn't you? At the very least, you might assume it's not going to help anyone grow, right?
I've tested that assumption multiple times by writing certain articles in a very snarky, over-the-top style, and every time the long-term results showed that assumption to be incorrect -- at least in the aggregate.
I have an unfair advantage in my perspective since I get to see both the public and the private feedback on every article. For most articles the public and private feedback are fairly congruent, but for articles of this nature, the public discussion rarely aligns with the private feedback. People tend to be more candid in private, especially when they don't want to risk being ridiculed for their opinions/experiences.
I've found that the most important factor in determining what effect an article will have on people is the intention behind it. If the intention is positive, it doesn't seem to matter what style of writing I use. The article will find a way to serve its purpose. But if the intention is weak or misguided, the article normally falls on deaf ears. My intention for this article was to challenge people to reconsider their thoughts about religion, especially for those who don't hold a strong opinion either way. You may question whether that intention is being fulfilled, but I have no doubt that it is.
It's ironic to say that the most discussed article I've ever posted (in terms of the comment count, not including private feedback) "shuts communication channels" when clearly the opposite has occurred.
One of the most powerful lessons I learned is that if I want to help people grow, I must violate their expectations. The simple reason is that this is how learning occurs. When expectations aren't violated, learning cannot occur because old patterns are merely reinforced. Since most people didn't expect me to post an article like this, it violated their expectations, which creates the opportunity for learning and growth.
You may consider this a violent approach. I do not. People come here voluntarily, so no ideas are forced upon anyone in any way. If people didn't want their expectations to be violated, they wouldn't visit this site. And of course everyone is free to stop reading and never return whenever they choose to.