Kaliko
Posts: 3381
Joined: 9/25/2010 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: YouName So dudes and dudettes. One of the reason why I come online (and usually end up staying in one or a few places intensely and then move on) is to exchange ideas with people. Perhaps about stuff that isn't so easy talking to or about with people off'line. So what's your opinion about it? Will you speak about things to a stranger online that you won't to an ordinary buddy offline or not? I think I've met people of both spectrums here. One thing I notice though is peoples dislike for criticism online and their inability to admit mistakes. Perhaps we could include this discussion too. It's quite apparent in the Politics part of this and many other forums but often enough in private conversations too. I'm quite baffled by this as the anonymous web should be the perfect place to receive and give criticism, without any fear of the loss of status or retribution. Just a marketplace of ideas. But people seem more eager here and online in general to push their views onto others than reconsider them. PS~ Sometimes you don't notice your own backyard staring at the frontyards of yourself and everyone else! What I mean is that I probably do the same from time to time. But I don't think I want to do it, at least. One of the reasons I come to message boards like these is because most (not all) of the people in my day-to-day life are not interested in much discussion past chit-chat, weather, and other niceties. I and a couple of girlfriends like to analyze ourselves and everything together, and of course, Awareness and I have similar intellectual turn-ons. But while he and I are still far apart from each other, and while I am still bogged down with life and not able to spend each evening with my girlfriends (though I did tonight, which was nice), then here is where I come to get a little grit on before I go to bed. Yes, I do think it's easier to push my view online than in person. I have to see the people in my life everyday. If I say something that's a little too pushy for them, then ramifications can last for weeks. I learned my lesson when I said years ago that [something that shall remain nameless] was like a religion to me. Oh boy. She. Was. Offended. And I paid for it for quite awhile. So I learn to temper my argument based on who I'm talking to. But here? If someone takes issue with what I've said? I do sometimes feel badly about it, but life goes on. On the other hand, I do like to take the opportunities presented online as a practice in humility. Sometimes, it's really, really hard to say "Yes, you're right" or "You have a good point" when it goes against what I am arguing, especially in front of however many readers there are on the thread. But it's good for me. It is exactly as you say. If I can't handle being wrong in a sea of anonymity, then how could I ever be graceful about being wrong among those who know me?
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