Political/Philosophical Evolution

[theapportioner]

y0,

Question for the folks here: Have you been influenced by the discussions on this board? How has it changed your thinking? Or how hasn't it? Just curious.

[Protoclown]

yes this board magically turned me into a liberal commie pinko overnight

[The_Rorschach]

Kevin and you have both made me stop and consider quite a few things more carefully, and as a result, I have altered my stance on a few issues. Actually, for all his bullshit, XSimpleX actually changed my point of view also.

Anyone who challenges my views long enough will provoke me into re-evaluating what I hold dear. Life, amongst other things, is groping blindly for answers as we stumble along. I'm not afraid to admit I'm wrong, even if I rarely do so publically

[KevinTheOmnivore]

I fear that this thread might turn into one big makeout session, but I'd say certain Mockers have changed me. There's people you disagree with who make strong arguments, and then there's people who you just disagree with because they're insane.

GAsux and Rorschach have made me snuff out some silly stereotypes I had of servicemen, although McClain helped out w/ that a while back, too.

But Ror and GA gave a more detailed approach to a counter-argument than most others. I guess Abcdxxxx falls in that category as well, despite my dislike towards him.

I respect Blanco, Eye Tie, and Carl Childers/Bombsburstinginair, because they have common sense and make strong arguments. They likewise don't take themselves too seriously, and they know how to pick and choose their "battles." I like the fact that many of us can laugh at ourselves, as well as each other.

VinceZeb, Ronnie Raygun, and HNICPantitude are lunatics. I think I can count on one hand the times I've agreed even MILDLY w/ Ronnie, and Vince is just....a lunatic. We are all dumber for having to endure your posts. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your souls (sorry for stealing your thunder, Panty ass).

[FS]

More than being influenced by other members, I learn a lot from reading this board. About world history, foreign culture, law, and so on. I'm not so often swayed from an opinion, but more than once someone here has caused me to pick a standing point on something I did not have a standing point on yet.

[Jeanette X]

I have spent a lot of time on other forums debating issues back and forth, and many of the people there were quite articulate in showing me their side of an issue, sides I had not been exposed to before.
I found that Socrates was right. A person can only be wise when they realize that they truly know nothing. You can only really learn when you are prepared to really listen to what the other person has to say and really consider it carefully instead of just attempting to counter it.
And Rorschach, although I hate your guts, I do admit you know what you are talking about and that I have learned from you. If you weren't such an arrogant condescending prick, you could become a teacher.

[theapportioner]

Well we can all hump afterwards.

2-3 years ago, I came to this board kinda left-of-center -- went super-left pretty quickly, though I think it evolved independently of what I was reading here.

A few worthy "adversaries":

Ror, GAsux, etc -- ditto on Kevin's remarks
xcomplex and ABCDxxxx (what's up with the x's???) -- don't agree with them, but they aren't idiots.

:gush

[Protoclown]

I have certainly become more liberal than I used to be, but I'm not so sure the board had but so much to do with it. I grew up in a conservative household, and as I got out into the world and went to college, I started developing a new perspective on life and made up my own mind about what I believed, rather than parroting my parents' beliefs as I used to do when I was younger.

This board DID make me reconsider my views on abortion though, thanks to people like Agent Burdock, Doopa, Miss Emma, etc...I used to be extremely and adamantly AGAINST abortion, but now I have seen and heard enough to change my mind. I consider myself to be pro-life (NOT anti-abortion) on a personal level, because I still abhor the idea of it and find that it is all too often used as a means of after-the-fact birth control. But now I am politically pro-choice, I have changed my mind completely in that area...and that is something I attribute ENTIRELY to these boards and the people on them, who made me stop and evaluate my beliefs and see things I had not even considered before, and for that I am grateful.

[ItalianStereotype]

well, watching and participating in the debates on these boards has certainly made me reconsider my position on certain issues.

of course, the utterly insane people here, most notably vince, panty, and ranxer, have also made me look long and hard at my own ideology. i dont want to be anything like them. ever.

thanks to xcomplex, i now understand the plight of the jews better than i would have ever wanted and ror earned my respect playing point/counterpoint with him.

[mburbank]

I think that mburbank fella is pretty *HOT* when he argues

[AChimp]

I influence all and am affected by none!

[kellychaos]

I try to be open to opposing viewpoints but, depending on the tone and/or attitude, it's kind of hard to do at times in this forum. It seems like some of you lurk in the shadows with "baited breath" awaiting the first sign of opposition to your point of views ... jumping to conclusions about what other people think and probably not even reading their whole thread. It's like some people pigeon-hole someone into the enemy category seeing it as "black and white" when there are truly a lot of grays. My advice to some of you is to slow down long enough to read all of someone else's comments, aborb the information, the tone, the attitude, ect before pouncing on them in an attempt to body slam them. I find I'm more influenced by an intelligent dialogue wherein point-counterpoint arguments are made rather than an "insult fest". Just sayin' :/