The Polarizing Corrosively Hurtful Hate-Filled We/They Approach To Political Debate.

[PoliTalker]

Hello iolo,

I think that, if humanly possible, one should avoid giving offence in political discussion, but, like the Brexiteers over here, right wing Americans seem to be full of a huge adolescent emotionalism which, when combined with a considerable ignorance of the real world, makes for a very offensive approach to discussion, particularly when they have been brought up to see the world in terms of groups, gender-, skin colour-, nationality- or whatever else-based as in perpetual competition. When you are on the receiving end of their ugly attempts to avoid discussion by insulting you, you tend to lose sympathy, I think. Can one really have a rational discussion with someone who detests it and wants to take refuge in insult?

I think maybe, at some point in their lives, that might be possible. I'm sure people go through phases. When emotions are running high there is no talking to them. When they are feeling more social and philosophical, they might be more open to civil discourse. But you never know. So I never give them a chance to unload on me. They can do that once. Then I am going to cut them off. I don't have to talk to them. They have shown that if I do, I leave myself open to harassment. The only way I can prevent that is by placing unruly people on Ignore. I know I give up hearing their more thoughtful posts. I view that as a price I have to pay to create my more mellow visits. And why should I put up with abuse? If it is allowed to continue I enter an enabler/abuser relationship with them. Continuing is granting permission to abuse. I refuse. I don't have to endure that. There is plenty of conversation here I can partake in without the abuse, so why should I put up with it? I don't have to. So I don't. There's my loss of sympathy.

These people are victims of their own habits. I have taken control and changed mine. I have created a better experience. I am not going to pay the price for their habits when I have already done the work and changed mine. There's got to be some reward for all the effort I put in to changing my own habits. The ability to change one's own habits is not easy, but the rewards are long lasting peace of mind. I can't change anybody else, so I exclude them from my experience. I can't care about them. There's my loss of sympathy.