Does it matter to you what happens to other people in the forums?

[MNoBody]

I saw it both ways, but I wasn’t sure how seriously you meant it, either way.

always keep 'em guessing they say, and life is always perplexing and paradoxical, so I thought it a neat way to say that I really do care, given the name tag on me that is
besides, i thought it was so obvious it didn't need explaining

 

[Shad]

I do not form relationships based solely on religious and political disputes via forums.

 

[Jim]

Ohh no, that happens a lot

But I also think that its important for people to know the difference between personal attacks and simply attacking someones view.

I have some long discussions going on with dear Trailblazer and will often use words like "make no sense", "incompetent" etc. But that is not personal against her, I just really disagree with her views. I don't think insults or personal attacks on anyone is acceptable, but someones views are not holy.

I haven't really experienced a lot of what I would refer to as personal attacks and should they occur, I would probably just ignore them and not spend time on it. These things happens online and should not really be taken all that serious. Think about it, some random person you haven't met, saying something about you, which they know nothing about, why even bother taking that serious

So sticking with peoples arguments seems more interesting to me anyway, at least.

I might be misunderstanding what you’re saying so I want to ask some questions. First I want to make it clear that what I am thinking of is not contrary views that people wrongly take as insults and personal attacks. I’m talking about how people’s lives are affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping. Do you have any concerns about that? Do you think that the only thing anyone needs to do about is to learn to never feel hurt or angry about anything that happens in Internet discussions?

 

[Nimos]

I might be misunderstanding what you’re saying so I want to ask some questions. First I want to make it clear that what I am thinking of is not contrary views that people wrongly take as insults and personal attacks. I’m talking about how people’s lives are affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping. Do you have any concerns about that? Do you think that the only thing anyone needs to do about is to learn to never feel hurt or angry about anything that happens in Internet discussions?

Its difficult to not feel anything, if you get insulted regardless of it being on the internet or not. But we also have to be honest here, we all know that its very easy to throw around insults here, when people are planted savely behind the screen

Think about how often you hear about some celebrity or random person that have said something, that end up getting death threats or called all sorts of nasty thing on the internet? Its so easy for people to do this. So if you were to take it serious, I would simply suggest to train to not take it seriously.

Try to watch this video, its by a guy that call himself Scimandan who do whatever he can to debunk flat earth believers, he makes a video of the comments he gets every month from people, imagine if he should take it seriously.

Just remembered this one as well, this is Richard Dawkins reading fan mail, its quite funny as well.

 

[Jim]

Its difficult to not feel anything, if you get insulted regardless of it being on the internet or not. But we also have to be honest here, we all know that its very easy to throw around insults here, when people are planted savely behind the screen

Think about how often you hear about some celebrity or random person that have said something, that end up getting death threats or called all sorts of nasty thing on the internet? Its so easy for people to do this. So if you were to take it serious, I would simply suggest to train to not take about it.

Try to watch this video, its by a guy that call himself Scimandan which do whatever he can to debunk flat earth believers, he makes a video of the comments he gets every month from people, imagine if he should take it seriously.

Do you have any concerns about how people’s lives might be affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping in these forums, enough to want to try to help reduce and counteract those effects?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Do you have any concerns about how people’s lives might be affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping in these forums, enough to want to try to help reduce and counteract those effects?

It's a good goal you have to keep those things out if you are trying to. Though, insults, ribbing and to an extent stereotyping, are rarely my problem. There's also when people show things off and rub it under their noses, when others get stuck on certain ideas and are determined to do them whatever the cost to others, not feeling included, and many others. I never really talk about personal attacks much, myself, because I consider them one of the simplest things to get past.

 

[Nimos]

Do you have any concerns about how people’s lives might be affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping in these forums, enough to want to try to help reduce and counteract those effects?

Well I wouldn't really know how to do it in an effective way. I mean I could write a long insulting post to you here now and you would read it, before any moderator would be able to delete it, and in that case the damage would be done.

To me, the most clever way of fighting it, is to not fall in the trap, where you "play" along with the person that insults you, simply ignore those comments and stick to what they are saying, or completely ignore them all together. Obviously let them know first that you do not like the way they talk to you. But besides that, I really don't think there is anything you can really do about it.

Honestly, I think the best way to handle it is to simply not take it all that serious. So if a person is easily offended, the internet is just a nightmare for them I guess. Because these things happens and we all know it.

 

[Jim]

It's a good goal you have to keep those things out if you are trying to.

Thank you. No, what I’m discussing in this thread is not about trying to keep thise things out.

There's also when people show things off and rub it under their noses, when others get stuck on certain ideas and are determined to do them whatever the cost to others, not feeling included, and many others.

Those are all issues for me too. I’m glad that you mentioned them.

 

[Jim]

I’ve added some questions to the OP.

I’ve been thinking about how much people respond caringly to news about about natural disasters, wanting to help relieve the suffering and repair the damage. That gives me some ideas about how people might possibly be motivated to help relieve the suffering and repair the damage from what happens in Internet discussions.

 

[halbhh]

Do you have any concerns about how people’s lives might be affected by actual, real insults, personal attacks and stereotyping in these forums, enough to want to try to help reduce and counteract those effects?

Yes, but unless the person really has something in them that makes them want to act well towards others, how could they often? It's somewhat mysterious in a deep way that one human could really not care about another human -- why would someone get that way, when they could resist? One possible answer for how a person could become (change over time) towards that may be if they believe that others mean to take advantage of them generally, and few or none are really wanting to do right. I don't know how well I evoked what I'm trying to get at, but it involves free will, the kind that transcends the deterministic stuff in us. Typically we are able to overcome our genetic tendency. We make profound choices at times in life.

 

[Jim]

One way I’ve been trying to help reduce and counteract the suffering and damage from what happens in Internet discussions is by giving some friendly attention to people when I think that might be happening to them. I’ve seen other people doing that too, in these forums.

I’m hoping to see more ideas posted here about how anyone who wants to might help reduce and counteract the suffering and damage. Not to try to stop the harmful behavior. Only to help reduce and counteract the suffering and damage, when it happens. There are other threads for discussing how to help stop the behavior.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Now I’m thinking that when people seem to be saying that they only care about what happens to their friends or people they like, they might not actually mean it that way. For example, when they hear about a natural disaster or about child abuse, they might actually care a lot about what happens to people they don’t know.

Lots of food for thought for me here.

Well, Paul Bloom's book Against Empathy, is worth a read on this, if not already viewed, as it does point out that we do seem to have more empathy for those closest to us, and which probably is more natural, but that we should be more compassionate and have more empathy for a much greater range of individuals. Perhaps religions are the means for doing such but they have been in existence for so long without much apparent success.

 

[halbhh]

Well, Paul Bloom's book Against Empathy, is worth a read on this, if not already viewed, as it does point out that we do seem to have more empathy for those closest to us, and which probably is more natural, but that we should be more compassionate and have more empathy for a much greater range of individuals. Perhaps religions are the means for doing such but they have been in existence for so long without much apparent success.

Well, the Teacher Jesus taught that only 'few' would choose the 'narrow way' --

Matthew 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

He said this just after the active form of the golden rule as He taught it, the "in everything" form (unlimited to situation) --

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

-------
And then when He was here in the body in person, only some followed, and many did not. And then after He appeared to the disciples again before ascending, He tells them to spread the gospel He taught, and then we read in the epistles plenty to show us that even in the early church with having many that were eye witnesses to Christ still alive, and many converted that did not see Him first hand, still we find that only some are indeed following as He said to do, but that many are not. And that's even in the early church.

So, it suggests that some will choose to believe in Him more fully and follow the way of Love -- "Love your neighbor as yourself" -- and many will not believe/follow that "way" He is.