When was the last time you had a really good argument with yourself?

It's a little known fact that when you engage your mind in a logical, well-thought argument, you can quickly change your life in the direction you want it to go.

We've all had plenty of arguments with others before. Some of us are even really good at being argumentative! ? A passionate line of reasoning among friends can uplift and inspire us. "Truth springs from argument amongst friends," wrote the philosopher David Hume. On the other hand, that same tired argument with our spouse or children can hurt and depress us. Relationship guru Gay Hendricks poignantly recognized that "most couples have not had hundreds of arguments; they've had the same argument hundreds of times."

We're all familiar with various styles of arguments. And while it's beyond the scope of this article to discuss them all, I'd like to suggest a useful simplification here. At their core, most forms of argument are a method to attempt to change or defend a set of beliefs.

If your mother is arguing with you, what does she really want? She's attempting to change your belief to one that matches her own view of how things should be according to her. If a lawyer is using logical, persuasive arguments in front of a jury, what is he attempting to accomplish? He wants the jury to align their beliefs of guilt or innocence to win the case. If CNN is blaring sound bytes of two politicos yelling at each other, what does each side really want? Each side wants you to disallow competing beliefs and adopt beliefs aligned with their
own political cause.

Argument = Attempt to Change or Defend a Belief

If you think about it, large sections of our society are constantly trying to get you to change or defend a belief. Sales and marketing. Psychiatry and self help. Politics and persuasion. Science and sociology. At its core, each uses various methods to try to get you to pay attention first, and then align your beliefs in the direction they want you to go.

The reason a really good self-argument can quickly change your life is the fact that an argument, when accepted, works on your beliefs. It is your beliefs, both conscious and not,
that ultimately dictate your perceptions. It is your perceptions that dictate your view of reality. It is your view of reality that dictates your choices. Your choices dictate your actions. Your actions determine your memory. You memory dictates your desires. Your whole life is thus
a reflection of your beliefs.

There are many ways to change a belief that is no longer serving you: counseling, coaching, affirmations, prayer, self-reflection, learning, science, and experience are just a few. All have their place. But if you want to quickly cut to the core of something that's been holding you back, I recommend having a really good self-argument!

The reason a self-argument is powerful is that argument is the syntax of the logical mind. Argument is how the left-brain, logical mind operates. The left brain works in a linear, time-
based fashion. It selectively takes in pieces of information, attempts to establish relationships among them, and draws conclusions. It is the source of analysis, the perception of right and wrong, and contrast. The right brain, on the other hand, captures a gestalt of the information available. It works in a non-linear, timeless mode. It is the source of intuition, creativity, and insight.

The left-brain is judgmental. To the left brain, everything is black or white, right or wrong, provable or improvable. Like a stone castle, it defends itself against new information that doesn't align with its current "facts." The limitation of its processing power is that its "facts" are accumulated through a limited set of past experiences and popular memes (a meme is like a gene for the collective consciousness).

When new evidence is presented that operates against its current "facts," the left brain will fight against it until presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But once it accepts that new information, it too will get locked in tight in the castle. When you work a good self-
argument, you're actually following the left-brain's syntax. It's like you're inserting a Trojan horse past its walled defenses. Contained within the horse are new and more powerful facts that can shift your beliefs in the direction you want to go.

Next, Learn How to Argue Away from What is False and Towards What is True => http://bit.ly/1yXjPk

Author's Bio: 

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