Do you ever give much thought to what right and wrong thinking is? Ever step outside yourself and your arguments and thoughts and consider for a moment if things you are saying are reasonable? Sometimes I read forums, even things I write, and consider how certain I and everyone always seems to be in what we say and believe. We are always sure of ourselves, but yet we aren't always right so we will run into situations where we are certain we are right but we are certainly wrong. I've done this numerous times myself and as much of a jerk as this makes you look like, there is still yet one more thing you can do to make yourself look even worse... STILL insist you are right. As intellectually destructive and dishonest as this is, there is one more thing we do, as a community of people and as individuals, that encourages and contributes to this faulty way of behaving. We are very ungracious to people we disagree with. I've read countless times on forums one person making a statement and then another telling the person that they aren't only wrong, but stupid for believing that, too. It's no easy thing, if you are the person that really IS wrong, to allow yourself to be corrected by an ungracious person. I find that being teachable and presenting your views with some humility are marks of maturity. Perhaps you are someone who believes that stupid views that are stated deserve harsh treatment, but yet I would suggest that you, me and everyone else in this world holds SOME view that is absolutely stupid. The problem is, since we hold those views, we don't REALIZE they are stupid or else we wouldn't have them. You don't realize a view is stupid until you realize it is stupid. Since it is very likely you yourself have some view or another that is stupid and don't realize it, you are someone who is in need of people to be gracious to you. But yet, if you are harshly treated, you will almost certainly not be teachable, as anyone wouldn't be. My proposition is this: If someone states a view of theirs, I would call anyone to openly question it if they believe they are wrong. However, do it with mercy in your heart, your mind and your speech. In addition, remain teachable. Be open to being wrong without losing conviction for your beliefs. If we were to all behave in such a way, as a community, as a world, the achievements we could reach would be amazing. This has been right thinking with Damascus. Future threads and topics to come
This is an interesting topic to comment on. See, people as a whole hate admitting they are wrong, or that someone else is better. Look at PvP for example. Everyone usually asks for a wall or forum apology, and the other person resists as long as possible. This is due to pride, and pride is what makes us so unable to admit we are wrong and prevents us from admitting our mistakes and moving on. I'm certainly guilty of this, but when I do know I'm wrong, I will eventually concede the point, as it's just the only real sensible thing to do if you wish to continue the topic effectively.
Our pride defines us. Our pride in ourselves (or lack of) shapes our personalities; so a very proud individual may argue to the point of indignation against common sense. However, a person may be proud and keep an open mind. This is what we should strive for.
I agree, farrcode. That is the only sensible thing to do. However, I do believe ungracious people have something to do with it. If it's already tough enough to admit being wrong, it can only be more difficult to do so if the person that is right is behaving poorly about being right.
it's easy. is murder right or wrong? btw murder as in the person is walking down the street and you cut their throat. is forcing someone to have intercourse with you right or wrong? is taking something from someone that you have no claim right or wrong? have to break it down and look at the whole picture but it is always easy to define right kr wrong. abortion? disregard your religious belief's because that is not what we are talking about. if you bring a child into this world you should be responsible enough to see it through and give it a good life. if not it should be taken from you as it is not the child's fault you wanted sex and were irresponsible. obviously minor's and victim's of forced situation's are exempt because they know no better. but if you are an adult and knowingly had sex you know what could have happened. death penalty? are there crime's worth execution? there are crime's where people execute other's so the answer is obvious. if someone goes out and commit's mass murder for the sake of murdering not a crime of passion ie you catch your wife you have children with sleeping with another man and in a blind rage kill him or her or both id say they get life in prison not the death penalty. someone kills your friend or family in front of you so you kill them. I don't condone revenge but i do not believe they should be executed for this either. morality is an easy question. are people willing to own up to their mistake's is quite another.
Id have to disagree with Reaper on the extent that he flavored in his personal outlook on a situation that should maintain objectivity. This isn't a question of morality, but that's how I perceived it. This is rather a statement of enlightenment. The OP isn't asking us to do something but rather informing us of what we are doing. We all know being stubborn isn't a crime, but it is extremely hard to have an intellectually engaging conversation when one party is stone walling the other because they don't agree. I for one can concede a point, but that's just because I won't take pride in my way of thinking but rather my way of understanding. Being ignorant or stubborn is not prideful, but understanding and listening is. It speaks more to the character of an individual if they listen instead of preach. I'm not trying to attack you, Reaper, but your examples of questions about right and wrong begin to take a subjective turn once you mentioned abortion. That to me is equivalent to stone walling. You weren't able to ask the question about what's right and wrong with abortion objectively, which is a huge moral principle when debating a situation as heated as that.
Reaper's post is perfect example of the problem the OP is attempting to address. His post insists that his positions are unassailable, and he is insultingly dismissive of anyone who disagrees with them. In this manner, Reaper has provided a perfect example of the problems inherent with a reasonable discussion when poor reasoning is coupled with unmitigated arrogance. Thus, the post nicely highlights the OP's discussion.
Excellent OP. If it's something you're not conscious of, think about it. Read that first post three, four, ten times. If it's something you're aware of and find yourself needing to be more mindful of (I am in this camp) then keep at it. If you already are all Buddha'd out, that's awesome. That's the best. But just make sure and check yourself to see if you don't have more room for improvement, right? I'm gonna go read the OP again.
Interesting topic OP. If intelligence is defined as the capacity to learn then surely we should seek to understand. To understand we must have an open mind to receive information and change our opinion if by objectively evaluating that information it adds more depth and clarity to our current stance. Surely this is how our