(June 19, 2012 at 6:23 pm)Brian37 Wrote:(June 19, 2012 at 6:07 pm)gringoperry Wrote: I can't really argue with that, in most cases. However, I have 18 years in customer service experience and I know that people's defenses are very easily broken down, with the right approach. Also, I come from Northern Ireland so I know all about being in oppressive situations. When you have to talk a gunman out of shooting you, when he has been brainwashed into believing that you represent everything that he hates, you learn as you go or become another statistic. In fairness, though, it is my idealistic view of the world which usually lands me looking down the barrel of a gun, so point taken.
I actually have not done it here, as much as I should, but do you know how to box, kick verbal ass, without making people run? You simply say look, there is a difference between you the person, and an individual claim a person may make.
In my history in dealing with most detractors, once you warn them not to take the subject matter personally, not all of the time, but most of the time they do not.
I really am an equal opportunity offender. I have offended a pantheist, who is now an atheist. I have offended a Mayan conspiracy fan. I still to this day piss off an atheist libertarian who falsely thinks I am a nanny state advocate. And I have had a 5 year battle with one Christian on another board who has always hated my needling and blasphemy, but to his credit, stuck it out.
There is no way humanly possible on a planet of 7 billion to only say nice things all the time. That attitude is as utopian in thought as any political party or religion. The best we can do is to let the words fly and agree that we all want the same thing. We all want food, shelter, a means to survive and the right to bitch when we don't like something.
What binds humans together is not our common likes or dislikes, what binds us together is our common condition. And our common condition is that we will never agree on all things all the time.
This reminds me of the time when my conspiracy theorist friend showed me the following video; then proceeded to tell me how it was evidence of a NWO conspiracy:
There were two ways I could have taken this.
1. Gently introduce him to The Onion, showing him some of the satirical content, then pointing out The Onion logo in the video.
2. Laugh at him maniacally, leaving him feeling insecure and confused, then point out how much of a dumbass he is.
I went with the latter; simply because I felt I needed to be cruel to be kind. It was kind of a critical thinking, preemptive strike.
