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Is it ok to mock beliefs?

Road Warrior

Road Warrior

Seeking the middle path..
fantôme profane;2915139 said:
Believe it or not I can tell you that I have changed my position on certain topics because I was exposed to ridicule of my beliefs. And I am grateful for it.
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Are you asserting that you think being ridiculed or mocked was the best way to persuade you or the most effective way? That you would have never changed your thought patterns unless someone personally attacked you, mocked you and ridiculed you?
 
Orias

Orias

Left Hand Path
I thought of it more like this...

I mock person A to get person B's attention. While I (person 6) am attempting to persuade person B to enact on person A's behalf, person C steps in and mocks me.

Heh, or something along that lines.

If one is being mocked, they can either react by doing what the person mocking wants (which is likely to mock back or something along the lines) or ignore the mocker.

Though regardless, even the "mockee" has a sale to make.
 
fantome profane

fantome profane

Anti-Woke = Anti-Justice
Premium Member
Road Warrior said:
Are you asserting that you think being ridiculed or mocked was the best way to persuade you or the most effective way? That you would have never changed your thought patterns unless someone personally attacked you, mocked you and ridiculed you?
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I will repeat myself once again. Sometimes it is the best response, sometimes it is very effective, sometimes it is morally obligatory, sometimes it is brilliant and revolutionary.

I did not say always. But in my case it was the best way, and I was not attacked personally, but several ideas that I held deeply were savagely and brutally attacked. I am not going to go into details, but it was painful, and it was brilliant, and it was effective.
 
Road Warrior

Road Warrior

Seeking the middle path..
Orias said:
Though regardless, even the "mockee" has a sale to make.
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All have a point of view. Of this, I do not disagree. My point is "Which is the most effective way to persuade others?" Which is the most logical and reasonable way to persuade others? Dawkins' remark was made at the "Reason Rally". Was his remark reasonable or merely emotional rhetoric? I say it is the latter. Mockery and ridicule, like beating and bullying people, can work, but I believe those to be very poor and very unreasonable tactics of persuasion. Smarter people should have smarter solutions. Leave the barbarian tactics to the barbarians.
 
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fantome profane

fantome profane

Anti-Woke = Anti-Justice
Premium Member
Road Warrior said:
All have a point of view. Of this, I do not disagree. My point is "Which is the most effective way to persuade others?" Which is the most logical and reasonable way to persuade others? Dawkins' remark was made at the "Reason Rally". Was his remark reasonable or merely emotional rhetoric? I say it is the latter. Mockery and ridicule, like beating and bullying people, can work, but I believe those to be very poor and very unreasonable tactics of persuasion. Smarter people should have smarter solutions. Leave the barbarian tactics to the barbarians.
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not about Dawkins.
 
waitasec

waitasec

Veteran Member
Road Warrior said:
Are you asserting that you think being ridiculed or mocked was the best way to persuade you or the most effective way? That you would have never changed your thought patterns unless someone personally attacked you, mocked you and ridiculed you?
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whatever works...

no 2 situations are the same. too many variables are involved...and mocking doesn't necessarily have to be off the table, if i am talking to a friend of mine who doesn't exactly know why they believe that jesus was born of a virgin or resurrected...or that the earth was created in 6 days they have set themselves up for a mocking.
however, if my friend can qualify his reasons for believing in such a thing...then there is no reason to mock, now is there?
 
waitasec

waitasec

Veteran Member
i don't get the comparison of genocide to mocking ones unqualified beliefs....it just baffles my mind
 
Road Warrior

Road Warrior

Seeking the middle path..
fantôme profane;2915172 said:
Godwin's law triumphs once again.
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Tell me where I am guilty of breaking Godwin's law....or is this just a straw man argument because you have nothing else to offer?
 
waitasec

waitasec

Veteran Member
Road Warrior said:
True, but it is mostly nice to see your perspective on the matter. Anyone who gives a "Do as we say or else!" response shouldn't complain when there is backlash.
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who cares if someone complains...

why does the obvious have to be mentioned, any person with an ounce of common courtesy isn't going to start mocking people they just met
 
MysticSang'ha

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
You know, I thought I only preferred mockery to political grandstanding, but I think I also prefer mockery to passive aggressive behavior.
 
Orias

Orias

Left Hand Path
Road Warrior said:
All have a point of view. Of this, I do not disagree. My point is "Which is the most effective way to persuade others?" Which is the most logical and reasonable way to persuade others? Dawkins' remark was made at the "Reason Rally". Was his remark reasonable or merely emotional rhetoric? I say it is the latter. Mockery and ridicule, like beating and bullying people, can work, but I believe those to be very poor and very unreasonable tactics of persuasion. Smarter people should have smarter solutions. Leave the barbarian tactics to the barbarians.
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Agreed.

But in the end, the sale being made is all subject to the buyer and how much they are willing to put down on it.

What is reasonable and logical is all a matter of what works best for a means to a persons survival, which may or may not be justified to the outside perception.
 
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