Several members of this site I respect a great deal (in my very virtual way) are my polar opposites.
Well, okay-- polar opposites is hyperbole. Mostly.
These people I respect are people of good will. They seem to believe in the capacity of every human being to reason and be reasoned with, without resorting to the repression of cynical argument. They may be skeptical, but they are carefully un-cynical.
I am a member of the polite police. I believe in civility and open-minded discussion, and I try to foster such in this community. I appreciate these people's devotion to the ideals of respectful discourse that allow people to disagree passionately and amicably.
To all of you whom I respect: I salute you!
Respectful opposition is what keeps me coming back to Hatrack.
That's what I think this morning, anyway.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
but cynical and snarky can be so funny!
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
When done right. Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
>>cynical and snarky can be so funny!
There's a difference between an occasional cynical comment, or an occasional snarkiness, and an ATTITUDE of cynicism.
I like the odd snarkiness, too. But I try not to make a habit out of it. I DO try to cultivate respect-- because all the people I like on this website do the same thing.
Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
quote: but cynical and snarky can be so funny
Effective, too. (with the "done right" caveat)
::cynical and snarky are implied elements of my job description::
In other words - it's work. I try to do better than that here.
Successfully, mostly, I think. Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I agree with Scott R, and honor his tact in not naming names, but I think it's important to encourage polite discourse, so I'm going to name names of people who can have civil discussions about stuff I vehemently disagree with.
KarlEd is the soul of forebearance when it comes to popular hot-button issues. While I disagree with a number of his viewpoints, I wish I were as good at maintaining composure and civility as he is.
Chris Bridges exudes reasonableness. He seems to me to make every effort to understand to the best of his ability every side of an issue and present his opinion with empathy for those he does not side with. He is the embodiment of steps 2 and 3 of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
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