(March 1, 2013 at 9:11 pm)PhilipD Wrote: I concur and also understand (to an extent) naimless' response.
I remember trying to teach someone GCSE Mathematics. Was it my responsibility for how someone perceived what I tried to teach them? No. Was it my responsibility to convey to them to the best of my ability what I thought? Yes. Depending on my motives, I could have continued to teach them in varying manners until how they understood my meaning matched what I was trying to teach (which I did) but it was not my responsibility to do so, it was merely my intent.
In a world of 'free speech'; we are free to say what we want to say. It's not our responsibility, but it's in our interest to counter-act any misunderstandings caused by what we say. That depends on your outlook, however.
Yep, I'm responding to this because I understand what you said to be critical thinking.
Nevertheless, I don't think "free speech" exists. At least it only partly does within a context. My parents are free to use racist speech in my house. I am free to start screaming racist things down a street. The police are free to arrest me. I am free to deny I am the legal fiction who the court claims I am. The court are free to prosecute me. And so on...
I agree it depends heavily on one's outlook, or experience of their environment. I've simply been too aware of the determination of human behaviour to accept the OP's statement, no matter how nicely framed it is and how much it can appeal to one's subjectivity.
