Starbrd

I have spent some time reading several pages of back posts. At some point it became clear to me that some people don't like to hear contributors express their opinion relatively forcefully and in an unqualified way.

I was brought up in the Netherlands where letting people know your opinion up front is the norm. It is said that "Two Dutchmen is an argument, three is a political part." There are so many political parties there that they are not calleed parties but are called fractions! Yet the society works very well since by knowing where the other is coming from the agenda for compromise is clearer. And compromise is what makes a society work.

We should try not be offended at hearing the opinions of others stated forcefully. We can look at what they are saying, decide for ourselves what the merit might be and see if we can find some common ground.

I have adjusted my behavior somewhat to living in this society. It is only rarely now that my wife has to explain after one of my utterances: Don't mind that, he's Dutch and they are all like that!

valentine

that expressing opinions is nothing for which to apologize. However, if you ask for someone else's opinion, then at least be courteous enough not to pick it apart in order to prove your own point. If I ask for an opinion, I'd like to hear it so that I can think it over in order to grow in wisdom. If I already know exactly what I think and I wish to issue a statement to that effect, then it is not asking for an opinion . . . it is a statement of fact. I find no reason for people to state the same thing over and over again and not give others an opportunity to state an opinion without being bullied or taken to task for having one.

Lainey

Well said, Val.

Legal Bill

Everyone knows that opinion is irrelevant. facts are all that matter. I know this because I have proven it many times in court. Did you hear me? MANY TIMES! And why would you think over someone's opinion? How would that ever give you wisdom? Thinking over an opinion means you are not sure about someone elses guess. What wisdom could come of that? It is only facts that matter. Which I have proven. MANY TIMES.

I hope that helps you. It should, because it is right.

Legal Bill

Rmember, FACTS!

silvershadow

I get interesting information from my facts machine - things like offers to sell me viagra, and health insurance, and mortgages. I don't get much in the way of facts though.

RC - Ryder

I prefer facts. But, don't we end up having strong and differing opinions regarding the impact and resolutions of those facts? For examples, take the status of our education system, social security, our foreign diplomacy, the criminal justice system, our population explosion, the state of the economy, the impact of illegal aliens, our representatives in DC, the state of geriatric health, the problems of obesity, the impactof aging parents, etc, etc.

And, then are the facts that don't support the previous so-called facts.

DrCloud

Sunday's syndicated column by James Kilpatrick ("The Writer's Art") talked about facts, and to him facts are such things as 2+2=4 and other objectively true things.

"Facts" as presented in, and defined by, the judicial system, as an example, might or might not carry this level of objective truth.

And that's where we all get into trouble, as RC suggests. HPH

mikegarrison

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology

DrCloud

Hey, at least I picked on they agree with!

I guess I'm going to have to stop swimming against the ever-rising tide of Wikipedia as an authority, aren't I? It's just too much effort. HPH