do you respect differing opinions?

[brianmanahan]

i just witnessed a discussion where two people disagreed, but it was very civil. at the end, one of the people mentioned that they respected the other person's opinion.

it made me stop and think that i rarely think about respecting other opinions. and i think it might be a good idea to approach discussions with that attitude.

do you think respecting different opinions is a strength or a weakness when it comes to political discussions?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Depends on the opinion/how it's justified. I don't respect someone's opinion just because they have it.

 

[EOM]

I've had debates online(on disqus no less!) over a few days where myself and the other individual found common ground on a few points, but disagreed on others; but it was civil, we laid out our arguments and defended them. I conceded a point, as did (i assume) he. We both thanked each other for the discussion. It was refreshing compared to the trolling and sh*t throwing that I normally encounter.

 

[ivwshane]

I don't respect opinions just because someone has one, I respect them if they are based on facts or if they force me to re evaluate my own opinions by pointing out the failures in my logic or showing me a different way to look at something.

It's actually happened many times on this forum. Sadly when people say something and I ask them for citations, more often then not the refuse to provide them or resort to personal attacks.

 

[woolfe9998]

I agree that it depends on the opinion and how it is presented. If there is a difference of opinion on, say, a question of values where there is no wrong answer, I will respect that. For example, I am pro-choice but I respect those who are not. That is because whether you value the life of a fetus of a woman's right to choose is a question of core values for which there is no objectively right answer.

OTOH, for an issue like, say, global warming, there IS a right and wrong answer. It's a question for science. In a case like that, I can't respect the opposing view if it isn't backed by evidence, and particularly when inconvenient evidence and information is discounted or hand waved by the other person.

 

[1prophet]

I respect their right to free speech (no matter how factual or ludicrous) under the first amendment which protects them from government censorship and people trying to subvert that right through violence, intimidation, extortion, etc.

Likewise I have the right to disrespect or criticize their free speech including poking fun at it like a political cartoon without having to worry about government reprisal or being physically attacked by those that can't handle the criticism.

 

[dullard]

Opinions: Yes

Incorrect Logic: No

Made Up or disprovable "Facts": No

Boolean AND any of the above for complex arguments.

 

[soulcougher73]

Depends on the opinion and how crazy it is. You dont get defacto respect. Gotta earn it

 

[88keys]

Overall it really depends on where the person is coming from and how their opinion was formed.
If the person at least formed his/her opinion based on facts, truth and logic and is willing to have a civil discussion with me in regards to my opinion. The answer is yes.

However I find the above to be a rarity in most people. I feel that the vast majority of people only want to hear themselves talk and discuss their ideas with like minded people. The get angry the instant they are confronted with a world view that differs from theirs and it is virtually impossible to have a civil discussion. These people rarely if ever hold an opinion that is based in their own thought process. Instead they repeat empty rhetoric parroted by others and advocate them based solely on it's popularity within their groups. These people are mostly walking stereotypes of the groups they identify with and you can almost guarantee that the more of stereotype a person is; the more vapid their opinions and ideas will be. These groups exist everywhere and among them are Libertarians, Anarchists, Feminists, Bikers, Truckers, Baptists, KKK, Conspiracy Nuts, Gun Extremists, Gun Control Extremists, Muslim Extremists, and whatever else their is to be extreme about. In any case they are only concerned with issues that pertain to them and only change their minds to an even more extreme version of the opinion they previously held.


Opinions from these people are ones that I have nothing but contempt for.

 

[Vic]

"I have never learned anything from any man who agreed with me."

 

[Darwin333]

"I have never learned anything from any man who agreed with me."

/thread

 

[ivwshane]

"I have never learned anything from any man who agreed with me."

I have. Just because I may be right about something doesn't mean I'm right for the right reasons.

 

[Indus]

Sure. I used to be a Republican until I saw their policies only helped my bosses at my expense.

And I still see lots of people still drinking the kool-aid but up to them. I on the other hand will not be blind to it now.

 

[WHAMPOM]

i just witnessed a discussion where two people disagreed, but it was very civil. at the end, one of the people mentioned that they respected the other person's opinion.

it made me stop and think that i rarely think about respecting other opinions. and i think it might be a good idea to approach discussions with that attitude.

do you think respecting different opinions is a strength or a weakness when it comes to political discussions?

What you heard was someone getting in the last word that you should have translated as a sarcastic "You are such an idiot and your opinion proves it!"

 

[cubby1223]

I do enjoy laughing at the responses threads like these generate

Most people who are vocal about their opinions are so because they feel the opposition to their views are inherently terrible people. I respect differing opinions very much so. Though I typically find little reason to respect some beyond the base opinion.

 

[Blue_Max]

If they can make their case respectfully, then yes. The more cited facts, the better!

If it's frothing-at-the-mouth screaming of insults to shame me and/or publicly force me into taking their position, hells no.

 

[Moonbeam]

Depends on the opinion/how it's justified. I don't respect someone's opinion just because they have it.

That makes no sense. You seem to have an opinion you don't respect because you have it.

This, of course is why I don't respect any opinions. Opinions are something everybody has and they don't have the faintest idea why. A better word for opinion is bias. Nobody knows anything. Opinions are words that represent ideas that have no real existence. This is an observable fact that most people don't see because it casts doubt on their opinions.

 

[Moonbeam]

i just witnessed a discussion where two people disagreed, but it was very civil. at the end, one of the people mentioned that they respected the other person's opinion.

it made me stop and think that i rarely think about respecting other opinions. and i think it might be a good idea to approach discussions with that attitude.

do you think respecting different opinions is a strength or a weakness when it comes to political discussions?

You keep that shit up and I will start to making sense to you. Normally you don't hear anything but what you already believe. Imagine how much you miss being unable to hear.

 

[Captante]

Depends on the opinion/how it's justified. I don't respect someone's opinion just because they have it.

This.


Although even if the other person is an idiot/obviously wrong there comes a point where I'll just throw up my hands.

 

[alcoholbob]

I do, if I believe the person I'm being debated with is rational and has good arguments even if I disagree with their premises. The one's I can't respect are the ones who start all conversations with a string expletives and a post with no substance beyond personal insults and then expect you to take their position seriously.

 

[DigDog]

Other people have "opinions", i have truths.

 

[R0H1T]

That makes no sense. You seem to have an opinion you don't respect because you have it.

This, of course is why I don't respect any opinions. Opinions are something everybody has and they don't have the faintest idea why. A better word for opinion is bias. Nobody knows anything. Opinions are words that represent ideas that have no real existence. This is an observable fact that most people don't see because it casts doubt on their opinions.

This, although

Other people have "opinions", i have truths.

 

[Moonbeam]

This, although

A fact is that 2 + 2 = 4 An opinion is that 4 is an unlucky number.

There is a persistent reality called reality that our brains evolved to mirror. Without that persistent consistency reason could have never evolved. It is also the consistency of reality that causes reason to be an adaptive trait. It's not easy to convince a body with practice in the real world to believe it can fly our of a window. What can be inculcated into people's brains is a will to believe in false realities. Wisdom, therefore, involves the small matter of knowing thyself, the uncovering of unconscious pre-reason-stablished bias.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Respect but beware false equivalencies.

 

[brianmanahan]

You keep that s*** up and I will start to making sense to you.

i disagree, but i respect your opinion