Who is Right and Who is Wrong?

After spending a lot of time on PTS, in the few months I have been a member, I have observed one continuing common thread in the more heated debates.

The "I Am Right and Your Completely Wrong" syndrome.


Politics:
Word Web Dictionary, 4th line down :The opinion you hold with respect to political questions.

Now I'll grant you that some opinions are better then others, some are even outstanding, while others are disgusting. But that is just my opinion of course. An unusual aspect of an opinion is that it does not require an open mind. That would indicate that any person can have one regardless of the validity.

Without an open mind, there is no way that we can grow, learn or truly even respond in kind to an intellectual discussion.

Do we hold so fast to our "opinion" that when we read a differing opinion our thought process stops and all we feel is the anger of someone that would "DARE TO THINK DIFFERENT FROM US?" So with keyboard in hand we dole out their punishment in the form of arrogant veiled insults designed to just slip past a mod. I mean we can't take the fact that someone that is speaking with intellect, could possibly believe different from us! That may force us to re-evaluate our position and we can't do that. After all it is our opinion that we are right.

If we support President Bush we are being brainwashed and we are gullible etc. (I can't remember everything I have been called)
If we are against the President we are un-American and should be shouted down and insulted until we stop.
For the war/Against the war
On and on and on. A vicious never ending circle that gets everyone absolutely nowhere.

It is an OPINION people!!!!
Neither right nor wrong, simply how we feel at that moment. If it is my opinion, I can assure you that throwing insults and arrogant posts my way will do little or nothing to change it. What may work is intellectual debate. The presentation of facts and figures, delivered in a polite and sincere way in an effort to show me where my opinion may be in error.
YET------- Respect my opinion.
I will respect yours.

Many hours, days, weeks, months and years have gone into the formulation of my opinion, especially on politics and just because you feel strongly and show me how you feel, does not mean that in a thread or two, you are going to change my opinion.
After I read your opinion, study it and spend sometime contemplating it, it may have a chance of swaying me. I have an open mind and pride myself on being able to accept that I have been mistaken. It has happened on here before.

So who is right and who is wrong?

We all are..

Semper