A talk given to the Center for Child Rights, National Law School, Nov 24, 2014

1. Finding Your Voice
Clarity. Freedom. Truth.
Somik Raha
A talk for
Center for Child and the Law, Nov 24 2014

2. Clarity.

3. “The small truth has words that are clear.
The great truth has great silence.”
–Rabindranath Tagore

4. Exercise
Exercise.
http://mtviewmirror.com/wp-content/uploads/jimcrowprotest.jpg

5. Iceberg, right ahead!
Minor Premise
Major Premise

6. Find the Major Premise
Minor Premise
Major
Premise

7. Examples of challenging the
major premise
Liberalization does not protect
us from financial ruin
India escaped the financial crisis because of nationalization of banks

8. Examples of challenging the
major premise
Police are dinosaurs in
their gender sensitivity
Police are better with men than with women in filing FIRs

9. Examples of challenging the
major premise
India is violating its
obligations on child rights
Juvenile delinquents actually pose a threat to society, are unchangeable,
and evil

10. Why is it so hard to spot the
major premise?

12. If you feel strongly about something,
you are likely to miss the major premise!
Because you are intensely focused! Finding the major
premise requires detaching from what you care about.

13. Takeaway 1
If you feel strong about something, artificially treat it as a
minor premise, and ask, “What is the major premise?”

14. Six Elements of Decision Quality
Framing
Alternatives
Information
Values
Integration
Commitment to Action
Cool Head Warm Heart
Appropriate Meaningful
Feasible Inspiring
Relevant, Material Decisive
Preferences (trade-offs) Noble Purpose
Clear logic Narrative
Action plans Laddership
Focus on where your biggest weakness and strengthen it

15. Six Elements of Decision Quality
Exercise
Critique advocacy
from the
perspective of
decision quality
Framing
Alternatives
Information
Values
Integration
Commitment to Action
Cool Head Warm Heart
Appropriate Meaningful
Feasible Inspiring
Relevant, Material Decisive
Preferences (trade-offs) Noble Purpose
Clear logic Narrative
Action plans Laddership
Focus on where your biggest weakness and strengthen it

16. Consequences
Avoid value-loaded language when
making arguments
e.g. “social justice”, “equality”
Be careful of associative logic errors
e.g. Deen mey dari hai, dari mein
deen nahi (The faithful have beards,
but the beard has no faith)
e.g. Jainism and non-violence/
vegetarian
e.g. Democracy and human rights
Get beyond philosophy/ideology and
into clarity of action
e.g. Dating question, Is leader X right
for India?
Take holistic, ethical perspective
Shortcuts can create more problems!
e.g. ethical pitfalls of coercion, legal
system as that part of your personal
ethical code you are willing to
impose on others by force

17. Takeaway 2
Instead of ideological advocacy, focus on decision quality

18. Freedom.

19. Exercise.
Pick a topic you are greatly passionate about. Close your
eyes and come up with your most powerful argument.
When I ring the bell, tell it to your partner.

20. Debrief.
In the second try, was your partner convincing?

21. A Great Debate

22. What does it take to travel to the other side?

23. Takeaway 3
Leave your current body (context), and travel into another one
to experience what is being talked about.
Takeaway 4
Enroll your opponent’s well-wisher as your judge.

24. Dalai Lama Case Study

25. Takeaway 5
Test your assumption of what your opponent cares about.

26. Nagarjuna can help!

27. Professor Nagarjuna
Chancellor, Nalanda University
Tetralemma of Nagarjuna.
The proposition is true
The proposition is false
The proposition is both true and false
The proposition is neither true nor false

28. Takeaway 6
When passionate about your position, slow down and feel the
truth of each lemma.
The proposition is true
The proposition is false
The proposition is both true and false
The proposition is neither true nor false

29. How do you retain your freedom when
someone comes charging at you?

30. THE EASTERN WAY
FACING ATTACK

31. http://c.aikiweb.com/gallery_data/525/Aikido-3AD_04.jpg

32. http://blog.aikidojournal.com/media/morihei-ueshiba-throwing-tada-575.jpg

33. http://www.aikidomiami.com/photos/Aikido//Ueshiba.gif

34. http://www.aikidowagga.com.au/media/uploads/AikG.jpg

35. AIKIDO = THE WAY OF HARMONIZING
WITH THE LIFE FORCE

36. “Attacker” and “defender” are replaced by
“receiver” and “applier”

37. The technique is an excuse to experience oneness

38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KihiVy0in4E

39. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIv80U4BjRw

40. The technique is an excuse to experience oneness

41. Takeaway 7
To change your attacker’s direction, you have to unite first and
then move in the better direction together.

42. Truth.

43. Service.
Wu: “How much merit have I earned for my support of Buddhism?”
Bodhidharma: “None. Deeds that expect worldly return may bring good karma but
produce no merit whatsoever.”
Wu: “Then, what is the highest meaning of noble truth?”
Bodhidharma: “There is no noble truth, only emptiness.”
Wu: “Then who is standing before me?”
Bodhidharma: “I do not know, your majesty,” And he left.

44. The Virtuous Butcher

45. Sacred Service
Grandmother

46. Gandhi Meta-strategy

47. Meta-strategy of Jainism
aliveness

48. Meta-strategy of plastic
packaging firm

49. Your voice. Unique voice.
Show examples of couple.

50. Takeaway 8
Know thyself.

51. Akash Bhora.

52. Takeaways
1. If you feel strong about something, artificially treat it as a minor premise, and ask, “What
is the major premise?”
2. Instead of ideological advocacy, focus on decision quality. Clarity
3. Leave your current body (context), and travel into another one to experience what is being
talked about.
4. Enroll your opponent’s well-wisher as your judge.
5. Test your assumption of what your opponent cares about.
6. When passionate about your position, slow down and feel the truth of each lemma.
7. To change your attacker’s direction, you have to unite first and then move in the better
direction together.
8. Know thyself.
Freedom
Truth