It really pisses me off when I try to reason with somebody who is so utterly convinced of their righteousness that they'll not listen to any piece of evidence that could possibly be offered.
I agree! I don't like the way so many people treat their politics like they might support a sports team: you pick a team and then stick with it no matter what-- no additional thought is needed.
I will admit I can sometimes get frustrated when listening to someone with a different point of view on certain subjects, but if they are thoughtful and actually knowledgeable about the subject, I do listen because understanding things (so I can make better informed decisions) is more important to me than being right. I do want to learn. I appreciate someone who has an opposing view that is actually informed and thoughtful, and can effectively express their opinion with supporting information.
I get really turned off when the t
oo often uniformed choose to toss their views out there in the same way a tipsy sports fan tosses out taunts and comments in a barroom on the home turf of the opposing team, just hoping to create some conflict-
for their entertainment! I got no respect for these guys. I want a discussion, not a fight.
I have a couple of relatives that every year would try to get my aunt riled up at Thanksgiving by relentlessly quoting a radio talk show host that she hated and that they loved. It was fun for them, but it really annoyed everyone else at the table. It was "sport" for them. Unfortunately, their views were pretty knee-jerk and ill-informed. As an example, I had to point out to them that Mister Rogers was
not a Viet Nam vet who had over 150 kills as a sharpshooter. He did not wear a sweater to cover all the tattoos on his arms. It was a ridiculous internet hoax that someone had sent them & they earnestly believed it with no question. I once also had to tactfully tell these two that the beautiful photos that they had printed out for me of the shuttle Columbia disaster (because I "like space stuff") taken by an Israeli spy satellite (somehow acquired by my cousin who worked at a photo lab at CVS Drugs!) were actually special effects stills from the Bruce Willis movie "Armageddon". I kind of hated telling them, because they really liked the fact that they knew these "secrets". I guess this concept ties into the motivations for belief in the "Moon Landing Hoax" being discussed in another thread.
Their beliefs regarding history and science were formed without any real understanding of the actual facts, nor any intellectual curiosity for researching the stories when they heard them. So how can I trust or value their opinions on something as important as the politics of our nation and the world?
Contrary to my initial general response/comment, my two relatives (who I do love, and respect in most other matters) actually DID hear me out and trusted me enough to consider what I was saying and stopped believing those hoaxes. But I already had earned some trust from them. Things were civil and went OK in those discussions- but that is not often the case in day to day life, so it seems.
moron, threatens a seven year old with an mp5? We had to fucking shield her to get the guys attention, and frankly, i don't like being in the line of fire...
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