Someone once said that “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”
     Much has been written about a person who some claim to be a legend, others say was a liar, yet others that he was a lunatic.
     Yet his teachings have not been explored in such a way as to bring about an understanding of what he actually said.
     They are usually approached from either of two opposite directions. The first is to attempt to prove to you that everything he said is absolutely true. The other viewpoint is to attempt to prove to you that everything he said is absolutely false.
     There is much passion involved in these viewpoints. And, unfortunately, there is much more heat generated than light.
     And, many times, his opponents have not even read all that he taught, simply taking sentences and thoughts out of context in order to prove their point.
     It’s only by exposing yourself to these writings and then evaluating them on the basis of your own personal viewpoint that you can make an intelligent decision. When you approach the subject with an honest intellect then you can determine if there is sense in a nonsense world.
     No one can convince you of a lie other than yourself. Conversely, no one can convince you of the truth except yourself.
     What you hear second or third hand usually carries with it the opinion of the speaker. If they are a friend, or on the other hand, if they upset you, you will be affected by your impression of their opinion, either positively or negatively. And this will affect your decision.
     If the decision is life-threatening, this can be a terrible disservice to your ability to decide correctly.
     Even if you decide wrongly in a small matter it can turn out to be very uncomfortable for you later.
     You need to have all the facts at your fingertips in order to make those decisions. Free from outside pressure or opinions.
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