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An Observation (or two)
13 years ago
The opinions expressed on this page are my own and do not reflect those of Fur Affinity or of any other.
"Si quid per iocum dixi, nolito in serium convertere."
("If I have said anything in jest, do not turn it into a serious thing.") -Plautus
"Si quid per iocum dixi, nolito in serium convertere."
("If I have said anything in jest, do not turn it into a serious thing.") -Plautus
What I say does not reflect my biases so much as the biases of those who respond to what I say.
It's no use arguing with "True Believers."
(And I've encountered my share on the Left, Right, and on nonsense trivial things that have nothing to do with anything at all.)
It's no use arguing with "True Believers."
(And I've encountered my share on the Left, Right, and on nonsense trivial things that have nothing to do with anything at all.)
trying to offer a different point of view to a true believer is like trying to explain philosophy to a cat; they'll stare at you, then go back to whatever they were doing, blissfully ignoring everything you said.
Those who most loudly profess their own and request of everyone, tolerance, tend to be the most judgmental and intolerant of the slightest deviation from the "norm" of viewpoints.
These both sound like platitudes or something but have been my experience of late. We probably all agree with each other more than we're willing to realize or admit, but because we were so busy shouting we forgot how to listen.
1) Nobody, anywhere, ever, has said "Ahh, your arguments have defeated mine. I will now replace my long-held political/social/religious position with your own."
2) Having contact with only fellow believers will make one more extreme. Having contact with multiple points of view will make one more moderate.
Basically? You cannot ARGUE your way to changing someone's mind, nor will he/she get back to you about it if you do. The best you can do is leave a trail of breadcrumbs that lead to your position and leave it up to them to follow it. That mostly involves listening to and understanding their position, finding commonalities if possible, and explaining how you got to your own position by contrast - without rancor. It's possible. I've done it.