Post B6IMKE2oEyrIOLawOO by artemis@dice.camp
 (DIR) More posts by artemis@dice.camp
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKE2oEyrIOLawOO by artemis@dice.camp
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       Reply guys used to really bug me, but these days my reaction is more quizzical. Like, "what do you even hope to get out of this interaction?"I guess for some people attention is the next best thing to validation.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKEGdPZux5E3ywS by artemis@dice.camp
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       You're going to rock up in my replies with something unrelated to the topic at hand & just state a flat contradiction to my strongly-held & carefully-considered beliefs, & then I'm supposed to do what exactly?Am I supposed to change my views? Am I supposed to feel bad about myself? Am I supposed to waste my time with a "change my mind" challenge-type person who thinks they can demand I defend my beliefs to them specifically right here & now?What's the desired outcome?
       
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKEVsUu6vqVC9hY by artemis@dice.camp
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       The thing is: if you're interested in what I believe & why, it is all right here. I'll write even more about it in the future!Look at my old threads or wait for me to post new ones OR (get this) write about your OWN views on your OWN timeline. Argue for them, explain them, defend them. They're YOUR views. You don't have to be in a debate with anyone to share them. If it's important to you to persuade people, then write persuasively. It's what I try to do. You're welcome to try your hand at it.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKEjLgot0WHUuhM by artemis@dice.camp
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       That's the thing about reply guys.They don't usually have the confidence in their convictions to really lay it all out & make their own case.They want to show up in the mentions of people they disagree with to try to upset them or poke holes in their arguments.That's pretty weak sauce. If you really believe in a thing, you shouldn't need a debate opponent to be able to talk about it.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKF0ieEmTO9cmm0 by ska@social.treehouse.systems
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       @artemis Of course it's weaksauce. They are weak, and they know they are. They can't do what you're doing, because they don't have strong-held or carefully-considered beliefs. They're thought followers, not thought leaders.And so, one of the only ways they can feel stronger is when they manage to destabilize, annoy or anger someone who has their ducks in a row (or is at least trying). If they get an emotional reaction out of you? They consider that a success, because usually nobody gives them the time of day.I am powerless against these guys, because I have no patience, and I do get angry - not because they found a flaw in my belief system or anything, but because the sheer stupidity, crassness or vacuity of thought they expose makes me irrationally angry and hateful. I am not Zen enough to let things slide on me like water on a duck's feathers, and ignore them without being affected. And that's one of the things I hope to learn by reading you 😅
       
 (DIR) Post #B6IMKFAe3KijswGiFE by artemis@dice.camp
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       It is so, so much easier to find holes to pick at in someone else's argument than it is to form a cogent & persuasive argument yourself.If someone feels proud for making someone else flustered or getting them tied up in knots trying to perfectly & flawlessly communicate their own position, they've set the bar pretty low for themself.