Quote:
Originally Posted by desertgrandma
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I am always amazed at people who seem to be convinced that everyone must pay attention and agree with their personal opinions. They state them as absolute fact ... and then ridicule anyone who disagrees.
Yes, they have a right to their personal opinion. And ... everyone else has a right to think that personal opinion is a load of crapola. That's sort of how the world works. However, these types (and there is a specific type) generally figure that if they belittle anyone who disagrees with them ... or if they shout loudly enough about their right to their view ... that somehow they are going to convert people to their way of thinking.
Actually, most of the time what they do is drive people off to the opposition camp, if for no other reason than anything starts to sound better than what they are yammering on about.
The big pink rhino they are refusing to see (or to acknowledge) is something called credibility. They take their own credibility as a given, which it is not. Credibility is something that you build up over time. Sort of like with a book or movie critic ... if you find that you never ever agree with his opinions, then that critic lacks credibility for you .. and the bottom line is that (for you) what that critic has to say is of no importance to you.
Granted, some critics are given more credibility and clout than I believe they should have, but then some people generally are given more credibility and clout than I believe they should have. But ... my beliefs are my personal opinion, and like all personal opinions, they just don't count all that much most of the time. (Of course, put me in a room full of people with whom I actually do have credibility ... and you would think they counted for a whole lot ....
).
To get back to my point ... it's a type. In general they:
1. Have very strong opinions;
2. Which they will pronounce at the top of their lungs;
3. With no factual basis of any kind in support;
4. Demand instant credibility and respect; and
5. Tend to insult anyone who disagrees with them;
6. While pontificating about their "right" to say what they want.
What they also don't seem to "get" is that the ability of an insult to offend is directly proportional to the target's respect for the speaker. Respect, like credibility, is one of those things that takes time to build. I don't personally give people many chances to lose my respect ... once lost, the next stop for me is the ignore button ... and Razi has now joined that group of people who, as far as I can tell, have nothing particularly intelligent to say ... about anything.