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Recovering backpacker, Cornwallite at heart, political enthusiast, catalyst, writer, husband, father, community volunteer, unabashedly proud Canadian. Every hyperlink connects to something related directly or thematically to that which is highlighted.

Thursday, 6 September 2012

What Has Greater Impact: Facts or Feelings?



 
 
Had the pleasure of attending Rotmans' Social Media Experts Series debate between Don Tapscott and Andrew Keen.  I tweeted a fair bit about my thoughts at @__cce, so I won't cover the whole thing.
 
 
One exchange in particular stuck out.  Tapscott was arguing the value of openness and collaboration; Keen was arguing that both of those things were detrimental to businesses.  When Tapscott refuted a point with an example, Keen said "Look, we can both argue specific cases until the cows come home but that won't change anything."
 
 
It suddenly occurred to me that he was right.  They could provide facts to support their views, but then the secondary pieces that became the focus.  At its core, Keen is afraid; change, the loss of privacy, the potential of his self to be lessened by the fostering of a more connected society.  He admitted himself that he's hardly the first person to be afraid of change. 
 
 
To really get at the root of debates like this, it's that cognitive response piece that should really be considered first.
 

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