Constructive criticism

[Napoleon Ier]

there should of been an option for voting for: 'understanding irony'

There would have been but dear old Brooksie couldn't spell it

Alright, you're not exactly Bernard Pivot mate.

[Napoleon Ier]

Manners.

Duh.

Ah! Meggy, you old inbred Texan hillbilly. How's things down in the deep dark South?

[btownmeggy]

Manners.

Duh.

Hi meggy!

Oh, hi, old pal.

[TheProwler]

Debating.

Has anyone here ever changed his opinion on any issue? It happens all too infrequently.

If you enter a debate without keeping an open mind and being willing to listen to the other side, the debate will suffer. As will you.

All of what you said is basically true, but the real question is can we change it. To that, we MUST say "yes, we can" ...even if it is only one person. To say otherwise is to say that change is impossible ...and that is just not acceptable.

I'm not so sure we have the ability to affect anyone that way...

How do you get someone to examine themselves and realize that maybe they are not being mature or confident or humble or <whatever it is> enough to accept the fact that they might be wrong about something?

I'm not saying it is impossible....but it might be given the target audience.

[PLAYER57832]

Debating.

Has anyone here ever changed his opinion on any issue? It happens all too infrequently.

If you enter a debate without keeping an open mind and being willing to listen to the other side, the debate will suffer. As will you.

All of what you said is basically true, but the real question is can we change it. To that, we MUST say "yes, we can" ...even if it is only one person. To say otherwise is to say that change is impossible ...and that is just not acceptable.

I'm not so sure we have the ability to affect anyone that way...

How do you get someone to examine themselves and realize that maybe they are not being mature or confident or humble or <whatever it is> enough to accept the fact that they might be wrong about something?

I'm not saying it is impossible....but it might be given the target audience.

Much harder on the Internet, true, particularly if someone is comepletely unwilling to "listen". In daily life, however... it can be very differant. Particularly if you look first to friendship, understanding and only third to convincing them of anything at all.

I have had some decent discussions here. However, mostly with people who are already willing to listen. There has been at least one case where I have actually changed someone's mind. Not necessarily that I was right, but that my position was not completely idiotic anyway.

Also, that is MUCH more likely for small issues and "technicalities" (grammar, etc.)