Lecture 1 – Part 3

Judging Between Individuals – The Art of Counsel

Learning Objectives

By the end of this part, the apprentice will be able to :

Explain the ethical and logical duties of a Wizard acting as arbiter.
Apply Solomon’s methods of listening and revealing hidden truth.
Identify and avoid common interpersonal fallacies.
Practice balanced reasoning between compassion and evidence.
Formulate restorative rather than punitive judgments.
Conduct a structured dialogue using Wizard-counsel technique.

I. The Hall of Voices

The morning bell rang through the stone corridors.
Two villagers waited in the Judgment Hall—each trembling, each convinced of right.
One accused the other of stealing a cartload of grain.
The Wizard entered quietly and said only:

“Peace. Sit. The truth already stands among us; it merely waits to be recognized.”

This opening signals neutrality. Judgment between individuals is not a duel but a search for harmony.
Solomon himself said, “A king who sits on the throne of judgment disperses all evil with his eyes.” — Proverbs 20:8 (NASB).
Those “eyes” symbolize perception undimmed by preference.

II. The Triad of Hearing

A Wizard-Judge hears on three levels:

Literal Hearing – facts, evidence, and sequence of events.
Emotional Hearing – tone, fear, pride, hidden motives.
Spiritual Hearing – what lesson the conflict teaches to all parties.

Failing any level, the verdict weakens.

Exercise – The Listening Staff

Hold a simple staff upright while others speak.
No reply may be given until the staff feels warm in your hand.
This ritual forces patience and presence—qualities that reveal truth faster than interrogation.

III. Solomon’s Model of Arbitration

Revisit the story of the two mothers (1 Kings 3:16-28).
Solomon’s apparent cruelty—ordering the child divided—was a test of reaction.
Logic without empathy could never have found the true mother; empathy alone could be deceived.
The Wizard’s task is to design conditions where truth exposes itself.

Principle	Application
Provocation of Truth	Pose a question or scenario that reveals motive.
Observation of Reaction	Watch eyes, breath, and silence more than words.
Merciful Resolution	Deliver outcome that teaches as well as settles.

IV. The Wizard as Mediator

A mediator is not judge, executioner, or friend—he is mid-point incarnate.
He stands where logic and compassion cross.
In Taoist imagery, this is the still center of the Yin-Yang symbol.
To counsel wisely, the Wizard maintains the Middle Mind, unattached to victory.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” — Matthew 5:9.
Peace, however, is not appeasement; it is equilibrium restored through truth.

V. Dialogue Demonstration

Scene: Two apprentices quarrel over a failed potion.

Apprentice A: “He ruined it! He added salt instead of lime.”
Apprentice B: “You mis-labeled the jar!”

Wizard:
“Both of you desire mastery more than harmony. Let us re-create the experiment together.”
(They do so; the mixture fails again.)
“Now you see—the fault lay in neither of you, but in an unseen impurity of water.
Truth has freed you from blame. Do you still wish to quarrel?”

(Both bow.)

Here the Wizard uses empirical verification—a principle shared by science and wisdom tradition.
Facts end feuds where opinions cannot.

VI. Logical Framework for Interpersonal Judgment

Clarify Claim – What is actually disputed?
Identify Stakeholders – Who is affected?
Gather Evidence – Documents, witnesses, patterns.
Test Consistency – Do stories align with physical fact?
Check Emotion – Is anger distorting memory?
Propose Restoration – Not merely penalty.

This mirrors the Aristotelian syllogism joined to moral psychology.

VII. Common Interpersonal Fallacies

Fallacy	Description	Wizard’s Counter
Straw Man	Misrepresenting the other’s point	Restate opponent’s argument fairly before critique
Ad Hominem	Attacking the person, not argument	Separate deed from identity
False Dichotomy	“Either I’m right or you are evil”	Seek third path
Appeal to Emotion	Manipulating sympathy or fear	Return to evidence
Post Hoc	Assuming sequence equals cause	Examine context
Slippery Slope	Predicting exaggerated doom	Demand proof for each step

A Wizard recognizes these as illusions of speech—echoes of chaos that must be dispelled.

VIII. The Ethics of Neutrality

Neutrality does not mean indifference; it means allegiance to truth alone.
The Stoics taught apatheia—freedom from destructive passion.
Marcus Aurelius wrote, “If someone can show me my error, I will gladly change, for truth is my only master.”
Likewise, a Wizard announces before any hearing:

“My loyalty lies not with you, nor with you, but with what is true between you.”

This verbal contract transforms fear into respect.

IX. The Circle of Resolution

Ancient councils resolved disputes in circles so that no seat stood higher.
Each person spoke clockwise; the Wizard spoke last.
Modern adaptation: a table without head, paper and pen in center—symbolic scales of balance.
By physical design, hierarchy dissolves, allowing logic to surface naturally.

X. Case Study – The Farmer and the River

Two farmers dispute irrigation rights.

Step 1 – Listening: Each states claim; Wizard notes shared phrases: “My crops die,” “my family starves.”
Underlying value: survival, not greed.

Step 2 – Illumination: Wizard asks, “What if the river belongs to neither, but to life itself?”
This reframes ownership into stewardship.

Step 3 – Resolution: They build a joint channel and calendar of turns.
Outcome = education, cooperation, restoration.

Such reasoning follows Solomon’s spirit—turn conflict into covenant.

XI. The Psychology of Projection in Conflict

Often people see their shadow in the other.
If one calls another “selfish,” examine which part of self feels neglected.
The Wizard listens beneath accusation for confession.
As Carl Jung later phrased it, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”

Ancient confirmation: “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.” — Proverbs 27:19.

XII. Speech as Surgery

Words are scalpels.
Before speaking, the Wizard sterilizes them with truth.
A single careless sentence may deepen a wound; a precise phrase can close it.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1.

Technique – The Three Filters of Speech

Is it true? – verified or evident.
Is it necessary? – does it serve healing?
Is it kind? – delivered with respect.

Only words passing all three leave the Wizard’s lips.

XIII. Compassion without Indulgence

To counsel effectively, compassion must never cancel accountability.
Mercy guides correction, not replaces it.
The Wizard resembles the physician: he cleans the wound even when the patient cries out.
Proverbs 27:6 reminds, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
The wise counselor balances comfort and challenge.

XIV. When Judgment Fails

Every Wizard will mis-judge at times.
When discovered, confess publicly and repair swiftly.
Failure handled with integrity becomes tuition for the soul.
Solomon himself erred with foreign alliances; yet his reflections in Ecclesiastes turned regret into scripture.
To admit error is to keep the lamp of wisdom burning.

XV. Integrating Reason and Spirit

Faculty	Function	Practice
Logic	Clarifies facts	Use syllogistic questioning
Empathy	Understands motive	Mirror statements before verdict
Intuition	Reads undercurrent	Quiet mind before speech
Faith	Anchors in higher law	Pray or meditate for alignment

All four converge into righteous judgment—what Solomon called an understanding heart.

XVI. Closing Ritual of Reconciliation

At the end of any mediation, the Wizard invites both sides to share bread or tea.
Symbol = shared life.
This physical communion seals the metaphysical restoration.
Without ritual, reason remains dry; without reason, ritual is empty.
The union of both renews community.

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.” — Psalm 133:1.

XVII. Reflection and Practice

Observe a disagreement today without taking sides. Record logical fallacies used.
Journal: When have you judged prematurely? What evidence did you ignore?
Practice the Listening Staff exercise with two friends debating.
Memorize Proverbs 15:1 and speak it before each counsel session.

Through repetition the habit of balanced hearing becomes instinctive.

XVIII. Summary of Part 3

Judgment between individuals seeks truth through balanced empathy and reason.
Solomon’s divided-child case exemplifies provoking revelation rather than enforcing punishment.
The Wizard’s neutrality serves harmony, not hierarchy.
Speech must heal, not harm.
Every conflict conceals a shared value waiting to be rediscovered.

Key References

1 Kings 3:16-28, Proverbs 20:8, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 27:19, Proverbs 27:6, Psalm 133:1 (NASB).
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Bk V (on justice).
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching Ch. 8 and Ch. 63 (on harmony).
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VI (on accepting correction).
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, 2003.
Carl Jung, Collected Works Vol. 9, on projection.
Steve DeMasco, The Shaolin Way, 2006.