CurseSealofEarth
Sannin of the Scrolls 📜
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- May 16, 2012
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This is not mine, it is an exerpt from columnist John Cheese's latest article. Read it all here:
There is one super harsh lesson that every person on the planet eventually has to face -- well, maybe not so much with celebrities -- and that is: No one gives a **** what you think. Now before you get all up in arms over that statement, understand that it doesn't mean your opinion isn't valid or correct. And it isn't all-inclusive. The people closest to you most likely do care and will go to great lengths to discuss important issues with you. If the word "cockmaster" is important enough to you to tattoo across your neck, I'm sure your mother would step in and show her concern. But when we're talking about something as huge as the Texas abortion law filibuster, the entire 'net erupts into nonstop debate, and most of those interactions are with total strangers.
Strangers who couldn't give less of a **** what you think.
So why take part in a debate at all? Well, the truth is, some people just need to vent. Some like the confrontation. Others treat it like a game, and they're trying to "win" the discussion. Others just like to troll. But most of them, in my experience, just want to be heard. They aren't there to learn anything. They aren't there to exchange ideas and find out why other people believe different things. They have built a pretty solid opinion on a subject, and they have a basic human need to express that.
The problem is that the ones who are actually looking for answers tend to be the quietest of the group. They read and digest safely from the shadows like a ... learn-ninja. If they have a question, it's asked, and then they tend to disappear from the discussion, lurking and absorbing information as it's made available. So what we end up seeing the most of are the loudest, most interactive extremes, shouting their points from the mountaintops, kicking off all who dare to claim their position.
Precious few of these people have any more knowledge on the subject than any other average person. But that doesn't matter to them, because the most important part of the discussion isn't the debate -- it's knowing that people are hearing their insight. They want to be viewed as unique and intelligent, which is why so many Twitter and Facebook posts on a touchy, hot subject start out with "What nobody understands is ..." Because that rush of "Holy shit, you're right -- I never thought of it that way" feels fantastic.
No, not every person in every debate is like this. But high profile cases like the ones mentioned above tend to draw them because everyone is talking about it. People whose only other debate experience is whether or not Han should have shot first are suddenly debating. Just because a large majority of them are only there to be heard doesn't mean you have to stay out of the discussion, but knowing this fact going in will save you a lot of headaches and your computer monitor a whole lot of knuckle dents.
"Honey, come in here and hold my laptop so I can spin-kick it in half."
Thought everyone might get a kick out of this.
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There is one super harsh lesson that every person on the planet eventually has to face -- well, maybe not so much with celebrities -- and that is: No one gives a **** what you think. Now before you get all up in arms over that statement, understand that it doesn't mean your opinion isn't valid or correct. And it isn't all-inclusive. The people closest to you most likely do care and will go to great lengths to discuss important issues with you. If the word "cockmaster" is important enough to you to tattoo across your neck, I'm sure your mother would step in and show her concern. But when we're talking about something as huge as the Texas abortion law filibuster, the entire 'net erupts into nonstop debate, and most of those interactions are with total strangers.
Strangers who couldn't give less of a **** what you think.
So why take part in a debate at all? Well, the truth is, some people just need to vent. Some like the confrontation. Others treat it like a game, and they're trying to "win" the discussion. Others just like to troll. But most of them, in my experience, just want to be heard. They aren't there to learn anything. They aren't there to exchange ideas and find out why other people believe different things. They have built a pretty solid opinion on a subject, and they have a basic human need to express that.
The problem is that the ones who are actually looking for answers tend to be the quietest of the group. They read and digest safely from the shadows like a ... learn-ninja. If they have a question, it's asked, and then they tend to disappear from the discussion, lurking and absorbing information as it's made available. So what we end up seeing the most of are the loudest, most interactive extremes, shouting their points from the mountaintops, kicking off all who dare to claim their position.
Precious few of these people have any more knowledge on the subject than any other average person. But that doesn't matter to them, because the most important part of the discussion isn't the debate -- it's knowing that people are hearing their insight. They want to be viewed as unique and intelligent, which is why so many Twitter and Facebook posts on a touchy, hot subject start out with "What nobody understands is ..." Because that rush of "Holy shit, you're right -- I never thought of it that way" feels fantastic.
No, not every person in every debate is like this. But high profile cases like the ones mentioned above tend to draw them because everyone is talking about it. People whose only other debate experience is whether or not Han should have shot first are suddenly debating. Just because a large majority of them are only there to be heard doesn't mean you have to stay out of the discussion, but knowing this fact going in will save you a lot of headaches and your computer monitor a whole lot of knuckle dents.
"Honey, come in here and hold my laptop so I can spin-kick it in half."
Thought everyone might get a kick out of this.
