Alf has surprised me with daffodils and purple flowers popping up this summer. My garden has never looked so colorful even though we have the worst soil on the planet. The Sahara has more chances of sprouting flowers than my front and backyards. It’s hard clay, that when broken up with toil and sweat, smiles at you for a moment, and then calls out to the clods and they come scampering back to form an impenetrable layer of steel that refuses all welcome to things green. 
Sort of like the attitude people have when confronted with the truth. It can be about anything. Health, food, books, religion, even where to take a vacation. Nobody likes to be told about something they haven’t thought of themselves. There’s an immediate revulsion. Never mind that what you’re suggesting is really good stuff, and will help them. That doesn’t seem to be the point. It’s being told something they have to do that makes them bristle. So I ask why the TED Talks are so popular, or the online seminars for turning you into a celebrity for 10 minutes garner thousands of likes on social media? Maybe the clue lies in this: if you appeal to a person’s ego instead of his well-being you stand a better chance of being heard.
There’s a word for that – pride.
Calvin says, “Hey, I run away when I hear the word bath.” 
Calvin & Bloggie 
Perhaps TED Talks are popular because they’re fascinating, well presented and stimulate ideas? Or maybe it’s because some attendees have a passion for learning? Could it also be we’re all busy and getting great content in 15-20 minute segments is perfect for a crowded schedule? I never thought of edification as prideful…just a blessing.
The point I was making, and maybe I wasn’t clear, had to do with the push back you get when presenting the truth to someone in person. A seminar or online course puts distance between you and the material presented, allowing the attendee to take it or leave it, but you’d never know it because it’s impersonal.