Welcoming Opposing Viewpoints

Lots of folks here only want you to agree with them, and if they don't they take offense. I try to avoid those when I get to know which discussion starters get huffy over a differing comment. I try to be real. When I can't be real I sometimes just tell them what they want to hear or I just skip it. If I think a discussion will get deleted I will not comment.

I think the world would be awfully a boring place if everybody agreed with everyone else on everything... Matter in fact, I think having different points of view is what gives us new ideas & makes progress possible...

Well, in all honesty... I don't LIKE arguing. So I tend to avoid controversial discussions or discussions where I know I'm going to have to do a lot of debating. Maybe I'm not learning anything more or learning how to argue, but I'm just not happy when I'm debating with someone and I want to have fun when I'm on mylot. I probably have gotten worked up over someone else expressing their opinion on mylot. I see that there's no reason to, and naturally people disagree and there's nothing wrong with someone else expressing their opinion... but I don't like to debate so the mere idea of a debate gets me upset. I guess I'm not as open to learning new viewpoints as most people. I like to talk about fun things and stay far away from the fighting.

I have to disagree with you on this one - I don't want opposing opinions, because they are completely wrong as of course whatever I think is absolutely right and there could be no other way to think. Alright, so I just couldn't help myself there, especially since nobody else seemed to be disagreeing with you. No, I actually write discussions sometimes where I am looking for people with a different perspective on an issue or a different point of view than mine, because I am trying to understand why people think different ways. I want to try to see how they think and what reasons, experiences or whatever make them think the way they do, because this helps me to be more open-minded in my thinking and try to see things a different way to perhaps find some common ground with different people.

Unfortunately some people here don't want you to discuss the topic at all! It makes me wonder why they post anything. Their posts are clearly directed to one or two friends and no one else is welcome to say ANYTHING! You soon learn to recognize these hicks, and it is well advised to keep a list of such members so you can avoid them in future. I have a growing database of hicks, arguers, religious nutters, idiots, etc. Fortunately, there are a reasonable number of sane people here who do like to discuss things properly.

Everyone dont have same thinking as you so the opposite are also their.But opposite viewpoints help us to enhance our knowledge.So we should welcome the opposite viewpoints.If everyone has same viewpoint then their is no knowledge.So we should accept them

I see mylotters as my fellow mylotters. We are all a part of the mylot community. I believe in the freedom of allowing one to agree to disagree. Some discussions are not always coming from a view that is always agreeable with my opinion. I disagree with people I know from time to time. It is not always comfortable, but it is better to know how someone truly feels. Feelings are fluid, they are subject to change. Sometimes these changes result from experiences or acquiring a better understanding of something. When expressing an opinion, I believe one should be respectful and open-minded to the opinions of others. We really can learn from one another.

When I start a discussion where everyone agrees with me I think: "Hmm, I probably didn't pick a very good topic, if everyone agrees there is nothing left to discuss" I always hope that part of the responses will agree with me and the other half will disagree, so that we can see the topic from both sides. It is nice to hear from people who share my opinion or people who have experienced some of the same things as me because they understand me and we have something in common, but it is also nice to hear from people who disagree. They introduce me to a different perspective and I am able to learn something new.

Well, I used to just be myself when I responded to discussions, and it seemed that I didn't to so well doing that. I had lots of negative ratings because of it. I had to learn to kind of be wimpy or maybe that's not it. I had to learn to write what I think about the discussion, but reply very carefully and word my response so that I would do my very best not to show that I thought their way of thinking was crazy or silly or rediculous. I had to start adding to my response, things like, 'so I can see why you would look at it that way'. 'Hope to talk to you later'. 'You start great discussions'. 'Looking forward to the next'. Cause I guess I can be a little overbearing sometimes, so I try not to be by just wording my responses differently than I would by being myself.

We cannot avoid opposing comments. I do not mind negative or opposing comments- that is normal since each of us has different views. No matter how we post a good topic and think it won't create any debate, still, there are comments that always oppose to what we think is right. I just ignore those comments as long as there is no word lashing or rude words being used. If that is the case, I just leave the box blank and report for deletion. I sometimes post opposing comments, but I never use rude words.

If everyone agreed on everything it wouldn't be a discussion. When you get opposing views it makes for much better and lively discussions. I remember one post I responded to several months ago about women drivers that became VERY lively - bit oh my ,it was SUCH fun!! But perhaps I should disagree with you to make a lively debate

It is a shame when a discussion gets to that point but it is also human nature. Some people just cannot handle being wrong. But when they get to the point of calling names I think it is time to remove the discussion completely. Like you said, everyone has the right to their opinions, but to get to name calling is totally off the hook. We are not here to fight. I also like reading different points of view because I always an curious about what other people think of things.

yea right i agree, its nice to see and hear many view points so you learn and join the other people the way they think and thats give you chance for learning from them or they could also use the opportunity to learn from you, because people can see one thing in different way.

I know what you mean i think some people get mad because, they are the type of people who always have to be right. But, if they are like that i dont think they should be starting discussions the whole point of discussions is to see other peoples views and opinions.

Not only in these forums where we are just in discussion with our virtual friends, this happens in real life too. I cannot understand why people need to start a conversation if all they want to hear is their own voices.I normally don't like to interact with such people and if it happens in real life I get slightly guarded.

I too love discussions with differing points of view. I learn a lot from them! I can't see why if a person disagrees with someone else that they have to get nasty about the disagreement. It's the nastiness, name calling, sarcasm and rudeness that carries from a simple discussion to the brink of war. You look at the number of people who have been seriously hurt or even killed for their point of view... it shouldn't be happening!!! I cringe when I see discussions on the Lot that have deteriorated to the point of sarcasm, name calling and negativity. I don't even want to read those kind of discussions let alone get involved with one. If you enter into a discussion realizing that you may learn something new, you will really benefit from the discussion. One of the best discussions I entered into recently netted me the benefit of a new way to control ants in my kitchen. I have cats and dogs so I don't want to use pesticides (plus I was exposed to them at a job I had and now have horrible reactions to them) around the animals. I learned that ants don't like cinnamon! My counters are cinnamon lined and the house smells like pie or cinnamon rolls but I don't have ants and the house does smell wonderful. In my view point, a discussion is just that. It is the opportunity to share ideas, beliefs and experiences. It is to help out your fellow MyLotters with problems whether they are personal or with computers, animals, plumbing or whatever. It is the chance to learn something new, to make friends (I just got a call from one of my MyLot friends who has been concerned about my newly discovered heart problem) and to support each other while making a little extra money. It also is the chance to learn to accept differing opinions with grace and respect rather than resort to name calling and hatred. I can't understand the ugliness with some of the discussions and will step away from the discussions and go onward to others. I don't take that kind of stress well, and will avoid it even more now with my physical problem. I will say that the greatest thing about the Lot is that I have had the honor of making many new friends, including Suebee!

Hello Suebee! I like it when others express their opinions or their points of view even if they are totally different from mine. Besides, with different points of view, we get to learn a lot. However, when they get nasty or sarcastic, I do not think that I would be able to take that. We can always share our opinions without having to be impolite.

There is not much of syndicating here now but I have had a bitter experience just because I had opposed something that this group was not in favour of.I had to literally fight single handed. And this cost me a star! When most do not know that an opposing point should not get a negative rating it is this that dissuades users from wanting to debate an issue. After all most come here to earn and if opposing an issue generates negative ratings why bother? But now the environment is conducive to making one's point as I do not find any group attacks! Go ahead Suebee have a blast. I am ready!

Hi, Suebee, as we see your discussion also attracts people with the same opinion . Maybe there are people who disagree with you or with other myLotters who have responded here. But why they don't participate? Maybe some people think that you should avoid a conversation if you can't be in unison with the participants. These people will get angry if you express a different opinion and will see you as an intruder. I have the same strategy as you - I try to stay away from discussions of this type. But it's good indeed to exchange different viewpoints. You can learn new things and it's more funny.

I think the latter part of what you wrote Suebee in starting this discussion suggests why some people take the safe route and not disagree. Conflict is not something many people want and that is understandable. Tension can occur and often that tension does exist before a person even turns on their computer. I’ve noticed tension like anger can also be passed around from person to person like a plaque and it builds up over time. Just an observation.