Posted on Mar 9, 2016
Have you ever successfully changed anyone's mind about anything?
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Support Your Local Sheriff - We Don't Have Any Bars Yet
Sometimes a sheriff has to improvise.
Many people take offense when I post something with which they disagree. I bet that happens to you, doesn't it? They seem to think that I'm attacking them, as though I expect to tear down their opinion and replace it with my own. However, that simply isn't the case at all.
It seems to me that we're all prisoners of our beliefs. Like this scene from the James Garner movie, Support Your Local Sheriff, we become trapped by imaginary boundaries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiFLTtjeuDc
So, why are we arguing? Why bother if we can't really change anybody's mind about anything?
The truth is that being among those who share our opinions is comfortable. We put ourselves out there with our words trolling for like minded groups.
Another truth is that some groups need to be stirred (or riled) into action. Elections are a very good example. In the past two Presidential elections, the Democrats were inspired to vote, while the Republicans weren't. To be fair, the Democrats were far more motivated in 2008 than in 2012. After four years of disappointments, they turned out in far smaller numbers. The GOP could have won easily in 2012, even if they turned out in the same numbers as 2008. Sadly for them, they didn't.
Thus, much of the political banter going on these days isn't intended to change anyone's mind about whom they're going to vote for. It's more about convincing like minded voters to get out and vote. So, don't take offense. No one is attacking you, are they? If you find yourself getting hot under the collar, just step back and stop listening in on other people's conversations.
It seems to me that we're all prisoners of our beliefs. Like this scene from the James Garner movie, Support Your Local Sheriff, we become trapped by imaginary boundaries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiFLTtjeuDc
So, why are we arguing? Why bother if we can't really change anybody's mind about anything?
The truth is that being among those who share our opinions is comfortable. We put ourselves out there with our words trolling for like minded groups.
Another truth is that some groups need to be stirred (or riled) into action. Elections are a very good example. In the past two Presidential elections, the Democrats were inspired to vote, while the Republicans weren't. To be fair, the Democrats were far more motivated in 2008 than in 2012. After four years of disappointments, they turned out in far smaller numbers. The GOP could have won easily in 2012, even if they turned out in the same numbers as 2008. Sadly for them, they didn't.
Thus, much of the political banter going on these days isn't intended to change anyone's mind about whom they're going to vote for. It's more about convincing like minded voters to get out and vote. So, don't take offense. No one is attacking you, are they? If you find yourself getting hot under the collar, just step back and stop listening in on other people's conversations.
Politics
Religion
Knowledge
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 19
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CPT Jack Durish more often than not, people are emotionally attached to their opinions. This means that in order to change someone's opinion, more often than not, it has to start by separating it from the emotion behind it. Politics is a big one. People tend to be fueled by a righteous indignation when it comes to political beliefs. This often comes across as a challenge to oppose them rather than an invitation to have a civilized exchange of beliefs on the issues of the day. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. Another big one is religion. People are spiritually attached to their opinion, and often take a disagreement about religious beliefs as a personal attack. The key to any discussion in which opposing opinions are held is acknowledging the other person's right to their opinion. Remove the emotion. Boil it down to opinion and support. This is how I feel, this is why I feel it. Instead of this is how I feel, and this is why you are wrong to oppose it. As soon as you start outright telling people they are wrong, you will never convince them to change their opinion. They are going to shut down and you become Charlie Brown's teacher as the other person tunes you out. I don't try to change other people's opinions. I will tell people when I disagree with their opinion (hopefully in a respectful way), and I will tell people when I think they make good points. Fact of the matter is no matter how much a person is admired, or how much a person is despised, no person is right all the time and no person is wrong all the time.
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SSG Warren Swan
You're spot on. Religion and politics are some sore subjects on here. Have been for awhile. I don't mind religion until you begin the usual "my religion is better than yours", "Islam followers are all this or that", or add in any other catchphrase you see on here. Politics are just that. Opinions made by others who share the same opinions. I don't care about those either as long as I don't get labeled or called names. You can prove me wrong and I'd agree with you, but once you call me stupid, ignorant, or misinformed, whatever you had going in the right direction with me, is now lost in space.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
Agree. You really have to see your own bias and get your own emotion out of it, and go into the discussion hoping to learn something. My own opinion on several topics has changed based on the superior background and knowledge of a fellow RP member. It's most often a vector change of 20 degrees or 90 degrees, rather than a 180 on a yes/no question, because we often deal with complex topics here.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
Col Joseph Lenertz - doing some fact checking yesterday, I found out that I was mistaken in my position on the amount that the U.S. spends on foreign aid. I had the data sitting in front of me, and my brain was still telling me, "Yeah But." I had to take a step back and actually let the data sink in before continuing. Didn't so much change my mind as it gave me perspective.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
PO3 Steven Sherrill - Same here on percentage of US public who has served in the military. I was saying 1%. It's really about 7%.
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