Quote:
Originally Posted by netseeker
We all are prejudiced, some of us are more, others less. Discussions in such an international board like MobileRead *can* help to reduce our prejudices. Sometimes it does work, sometimes not. It's not only a question of being prejudiced, it's also a question how other posters will react. Adding a imaginary "in my humbled opinion" to a post made by another user often helps to prevent overreactions.
Anyway, political and religious discussions are more prone to turning into flamewars than many other topics and MobileRead (even the Lounge) is the wrong place for such "Nation/country X is doing Y wrong" discussions imho. One (if not the main) intention of MobileRead is to be place where people can discuss reading and eBook related topics in an friendly and relaxed atmosphere or have some fun in the Lounge. Political and religious topics don't go well with that intention imho.
Anyway, i guess you could need some more sugar today: http://viacomit.net/2008/11/14/do-you-like-lips/  |
I think the key when discussing hot topics is respect. If we all remember that each of us come from different backgrounds, have had different experiences, and have been exposed to different arguments; it can go a long way toward a better understanding of another's point of view. Toleration is fundamental. Also fundamental is the recognition that good people can reach very different conclusions from the same data. Above all, in discussing hot topics,
it's imperative that we always allow for the possibility that we may be wrong, even about our most cherished beliefs; for none of us has the complete picture.
Whenever people resort to name-calling and personal attacks, it is a sure sign that their own notions are unsettled and that their arguments are bankrupt of any real intellectual content. Whenever that occurs, I simply refuse to feed into it and consider the conversation over.