The Dreamer
Definitely an important point.Umbrae said:may believe that when Accuracy becomes the goal, that the reader may begin to rely on “cold reading” techniques, leading to fraudulent behaviors which color the reputations of the rest of the professional field.
I can't see how there is anything that keeps cold reading from being empowering though, solely because it is cold reading- so if empowering is the sole goal, cold reading is not off limits in that case either.
It is unempowering when it is used as a means to do other fraudulent things. And also when people claim that it is divination when it is not. Which of course only is a meaningful distinction if divination is a real phenomenon that can be separated from cold reading. Which even some readers don't seem to think is the case, or pay much attention to as a distinction even if they do think that they are different.
I think these are all good points for a kind of practical epistemology. They also apply to other areas of life which have to do with our assumptions about what we know. I don't think they can be gotten away from, and paying attention to those assumptions is definitely a prerequisite in trying to find any kind of accuracy.‘ego traps’, “Assuming that everything is literal”, “Feeling you have to answer the question as stated” “Thinking you know what’s going on”… “Making assumptions about a card’s referent”
I try to think about all that stuff and related ideas habitually in most situations (divination related or not) anyway.
I don't see them as necessarily being “ego traps” though, just things to be on watch for since we all have to take our subjectivity, limited viewpoint, and volition into account. Rather, we don't have to but may want to, if... etc.