a reply to:
Skid Mark
Actually, I have won several online. Not here, but on facebook. The only reason I won is because, like a croc or a mad dog or something, once I sink
my teeth in I don't let go until something changes. I managed to open a couple of peoples' eyes by tirelessly doing the four steps for about two and a
half hours back and forth in the comments section. It was pretty cool, actually. Very draining, though. Which is why I don't do that kind of thing
anymore. Once they admit that I'm right and they are wrong--and apologize to me--then I feel that I won. And then I apologize as well, because on each
of these occasions I have resorted to blows that hit below the belt--out of frustration.
So yeah, I think it's slightly impossible to adhere to the four steps without deviating. Frustration builds and comes out--especially after hours of
arguing. Nobody is perfect, but I think the point here is that if your intention is to do some good, then you have to stick to that. Once the person
admits their fault, you have to be gracious and kind toward them.
The majority of people will not be dissuaded from ignorance, though. That is nothing new. People like living in their delusions of reality. Thus, they
rebel when others attempt to disturb that false peace of theirs.
On ATS, it is literally impossible to win an argument because everybody here is here because they feel like they know what's going on to some extent.
So that blinds them to their own ignorance.
Being ignorant isn't bad--we need to stop thinking that it is.
What is truly bad is knowing that you are ignorant and not caring or doing anything to change it. (ie being willfully ignorant)
So the first step is illuminating that ignorance and seeing where things go from there.
I think that people do have their eyes opened from arguments online. They might just be too proud to admit it.
But yeah, I don't think that winning arguments online is that hard if you don't mind devoting a chunk of your time to seeing it through to the bitter
end lol
edit on 31-5-2016 by rukia because: (no reason given)