jimmy123456789
Jackass
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2020
- Member Number
- 2312
- Messages
- 140
I’ve heard it said and seen it written many places that “arguing has no value/point as you’re not changing anyone’s mind”. Let’s examine that notion.
To say that no one’s mind has ever been changed by reading something, or someone “making their case” is ludicrous. Think of being on a jury, you might think the defendant is innocent going into the trial, but after hearing the evidence from both sides you decide that they’re guilty based on what each side said. Or reading a study about something that you thought was true, but the facts show that it is indeed false.
So I think that that alone shows that people’s minds CAN in fact be changed via simple discussion. Now let’s carry that over to forums. I’ve gotten flack from other users and forums saying that I’m “wasting my time because I’m not changing anyone’s mind” and that discussion has no value. The aim of my threads is to try and show people a different way of seeing the world and to make them rethink how they see things, and for me myself to hear different points of view and maybe everyone comes away at the end of it a little bit wiser.
And yes, I have had my mind changed by something someone said to me online, not right away, but when I mulled it over later on in my head I realized what they said had some merit and I re-evaluated my way of thinking and grew as a person.
IMO, too many people view disagreement as inherently confrontational and having no point because THEY aren’t open to new ideas and become very defensive and angry at having their ideas questioned. The ones saying that are the most close minded of all.
Thoughts?
To say that no one’s mind has ever been changed by reading something, or someone “making their case” is ludicrous. Think of being on a jury, you might think the defendant is innocent going into the trial, but after hearing the evidence from both sides you decide that they’re guilty based on what each side said. Or reading a study about something that you thought was true, but the facts show that it is indeed false.
So I think that that alone shows that people’s minds CAN in fact be changed via simple discussion. Now let’s carry that over to forums. I’ve gotten flack from other users and forums saying that I’m “wasting my time because I’m not changing anyone’s mind” and that discussion has no value. The aim of my threads is to try and show people a different way of seeing the world and to make them rethink how they see things, and for me myself to hear different points of view and maybe everyone comes away at the end of it a little bit wiser.
And yes, I have had my mind changed by something someone said to me online, not right away, but when I mulled it over later on in my head I realized what they said had some merit and I re-evaluated my way of thinking and grew as a person.
IMO, too many people view disagreement as inherently confrontational and having no point because THEY aren’t open to new ideas and become very defensive and angry at having their ideas questioned. The ones saying that are the most close minded of all.
Thoughts?
