Whoa! I had THREE PMs telling me to check out this thread. I'll spare you the words used to describe it---------but all I can say is...WHAT THE FUKK??? Uhh...what just happened here? I leave for a couple of days only to come back to discover that we've almost turned the place into "FIGHT CLUB"!
I'm amazed at how SERIOUSLY some of us take these Internet debates. I've seen this scenario play out MANY TIMES before. So much so, that I did a post about it YEARS ago. I really believe that it's appropriate to revisit it here. Allow me to quote myself:
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS MEMO
How should the soldiers here correctly process Internal Intel bandied about on the Internet Forums?
"Alternative views CAN be very valuable for us here. Sometimes, the injection of an alternate viewpoint can serve a variety of purposes:
1. Alternative views can cause posters who have a rather extremist view on some things to adopt a more holistic perception of the subject at hand. And subsequently, that original poster may see some value in taking a more "nuanced" and less "balls to the wall" approach to that topic than he would have considered taking before. Thus, bettering HIMSELF, inadvertently.
Extremism in ANY direction is usually a one-way ticket to either eventual failure, self-sabotage, or self-destruction.
2. Alternate viewpoints that strike a blow that FREES the hearts and minds of readers who may need to be delivered from the prison of "HERO or HEROINE Worship" is ultimately, A GOOD THING. An alternate viewpoint can help us realize that ownership of COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE is the sole property of NO ONE. We can all learn something from each other (whether the lesson be positive or negative)----and we can benefit in some way as the result of this.
3. Lastly, the "invasion" of alternate viewpoints can sometimes reveal personal, deep-seated issues that MAY exist within those who "read" them----and take serious issue with them. Many times when there is a vehement, overly heated, or damn near VIOLENT reaction to an alternate viewpoint-----it can be an indicator that the person who reacts this way is either too unhealthily extreme and/or too emotionally invested in his own views, OR, is too unhealthily extreme and/or too emotionally invested in actively "hating on" the person who had the sheer audacity to express that alternate viewpoint.
And when this happens, alternative views are then ONLY seen as OPPOSING-----and the WAR OF THE WORDS begins...
Either way, nothing reveals how sensitive a "VIEWPOINT NERVE" really is until it's actually "touched" in some way. Whether it be bitterness from past hurts, the shock from seeing a sudden flash of light that reveals the evidence of having a severe case of tunnel-vision, or simply an ingrained, adverse reaction to WHO or WHAT that poster represents to them-----the results remain the same for the offended party:
Intelligent discussion takes a BACK SEAT, emotional equilibrium is lost, while PRIDE, EGO, AND BLIND PASSION all struggle to grab THE WHEEL-----each fighting for control----each trying to steer the conversation in a direction that will ultimately benefit NO ONE.
So, no matter WHAT the poster who posts an alternative view may have initially meant to accomplish, how we process what has been "said" still remains OUR OWN individual choice.
I would only ask that we all show greater diligence in exercising our awareness------so that we may CHOOSE WISELY, soldiers.
Peace...one day."
In other words...how about we all just lighten "The FUKK" up?
V.U.