A Challenge To One's Worldview

Warm-up:

• Think of something that you wouldn't do under normal circumstances. As, for example, in my case, shooting a gun at another person.
• Now think of circumstances that might make you do that, regardless. I might shoot someone if they shot me first. (Well, and if I had a gun.)
• Now, assuming that those circumstances are met, think of circumstances that might keep you from doing that. If the other person started pleading, it might keep me from shooting them.
• Go on until you run out of additional circumstances, or until it stops being fun.

I find that a rather interesting exercise, as it shows me what my real values are, and which value trumps which other value - in short, it confronts me with the "hierarchy" of my values.

Now for the real beef:

• Do the same, but this time, think of taking advice from someone who vehemently opposes your worldview. For me, this might be a right-wing fundamentalist christian; say, a member of the Phelps family.

I say, this is not only a lot of fun, but it forces you to meet yourself at a level that you would normally avoid. It's a challenge to oneself, and it is just a mind-game so it is perfectly harmless. And I think we should challenge ourselves in ways like that way more often!