CallaFirestormBW
Posts: 3651
Joined: 6/29/2008 Status: offline
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~fast reply~ I think that any time we open ourselves and our opinions to public scrutiny, there are going to be people who both agree and disagree with our views. Listening to another's views, IMO, is never harmful. It may open my eyes to something that I was not aware of, and provide me with a perspective that I would not have attained on my own. In the end, though, what another says is only words... and I get to choose how, when, or even -whether-, I incorporate those views in my own life. I rarely find exploration of ideas tiring -- though I do have a substantial bias against individuals who are intentionally ignorant or intentionally closed-minded. I've always struggled with the "If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you", and the "I refuse to see that because I don't want to believe it" crowds, and I -do- find those exposures tiring and frustrating. Fortunately, I simply don't keep these kinds of associations -- because conversation is a huge part of our 'process', I typically find out about the "my way or the highway" crowd early in the relationship and show them the shortest route to the nearest highway. Calla Firestorm
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*** Said to me recently: "Look, I know you're the "voice of reason"... but dammit, I LIKE being unreasonable!!!!" "Your mind is more interested in the challenge of becoming than the challenge of doing." Jon Benson, Bodybuilder/Trainer
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