ATS It's all or Nothing!

Many ATS members cant be
independent critical thinkers.

Think about global politics for a second.
I'll wait...


I see this on a daily basis here at ATS. Take your favorite geopolitical arena and any given relevant recent headline. Which side are you on? Do you have a side? Do you favor one side over the other? Could you separate yourself from your preconceptions enough to discuss the situation in a fair, balanced and unbiased manner? Could you be wrong? Can you concede certain facts even when and if they fly in the face or your perceived Paradigm? Do I make assumptions about other posters?

Those are some questions I ask myself before I jump into a topic.
[I'm not always successful]

Are you?

Now that you bring it up.

















It's obvious,












I should think more,











before I post.....

reply to post by Destinyone


Do you really feel that way if so why?

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Many ATS members cant be
independent critical thinkers.

Think about global politics for a second.

I'll wait...


I see this on a daily basis here at ATS. Take your favorite geopolitical arena and any given relevant recent headline. Which side are you on? Do you have a side? Do you favor one side over the other? Could you separate yourself from your preconceptions enough to discuss the situation in a fair, balanced and unbiased manner? Could you be wrong? Can you concede certain facts even when and if they fly in the face or your perceived Paradigm?


Those are some questions I ask myself before I jump into a topic.
[I'm not always successful]

Are you?

edit on 22-1-2012 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Great topic!

I'm never successful ha ha! Apparently, I'm on my own side in the geopolitical arena. I'd like an opportunity to cast a ballot that has a 'no-confidence' option next to each name, but that's just me, I guess. I can be wrong, but I doubt it. Truth only hurts until the pain goes away. And until we can vote no-confidence, we are going to be in a world of hurt...

I Try, and Sometimes I don't try.
Sometimes i answer on Emotion and sometimes
i switch sides a little.

I hope when I'm serious, that i make some sensible posts.

I will keep trying. :

I have noticed that the majority of members who are guilty of this are also the ones accusing other members of doing it, kind of like that warmonger thread where all the warmongers were giving each other back scratches.

I agree though, people should take a look around and think before they post.

Sure.

I try to put myself in other peoples shoes ALL the time.


Its not so pretty. Humbling.

I think of this song............



(go ahead and laugh)




Then again,when opinions have become the new facts,its hard to pick a side,that warrants possibility.

Positive possibility.

This thread and its comments,will make me think.

And thats what ATS is designed to do..............


S&F

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by Destinyone

 

Do you really feel that way if so why?

edit on 22-1-2012 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Fair question, Slayer.

Sometimes, I get too caught up in the emotional side of posting to a particular thread. I know posing in haste will not accomplish anything with the object of my post, nor will it add to the overall content of the original topic. And, it's on posts like these, I run a 50/50 chance of having my post pulled by a MOD, for T&C violations.

Does that stop me? Sometimes not. I win nothing for my short sightedness. Not even a good feeling about myself.

After I have maybe multiple posts removed from a thread I've been emotional posting in, I have to log off, give myself a timeout, to reflect on why I did what I would, and have, told other posters not to do.

Over time, I've learned there are some members, it's best if I do not even read their threads. I know from past experience, we don't, and won't ever see each other on a level playing field.

Des

Opinions change... sometimes daily.
Situations change... always daily.

Nothing in this world is static and, because of that, holding tight to personal convictions is tantamount to dogmatism. Luddites love things that don't change even though everything around those things are in a constant flux.

One might as well say that the Stone of Scone belongs to the Irish.

Originally posted by sonnny1
when opinions have become the new facts

Actually that's very profound IMHO.

reply to post by SLAYER69

Taboos on ATS.
Drugs
Swears
Apologies

ATS should be a place of learning, of sharing ideas. Yes, I'm opinionated. Yes I challenge ideologies. Yes I'm sometimes wrong. But I question, in order to find out more.

Binary thinking is rampant here on ATS.
Occupy? Either/or.
Iran? Either/or.
America? Either/or.
Political ideology?. . . . . yeah, you guessed it.

Nice thread Slayer. We need to do some intranet time-outs occasionally and refocus.

It seems that in many cases, those who most proclaim themselves to be open-minded are in fact, the opposite.

Appearances can be deceiving.

I have to wonder: are those who seem to be consistently one-sided simply passionate about their belief and unable to accept that there are many sides to a story?

Or, are they acting as instigators because being a cyber-tough-guy is a thrill?

Why do opinions on a topic change one day to the next?

There are as many reasons as there are people. Why try to psychoanalyze 'net personalities?
How does that work when you don't really know someone? Chasing tails, most of the time.

I think that posting according to personal philosophy with a willingness to ask questions to try to understand another point of view is probably the most direct and honest but, not everyone will agree with me. Such is life..

reply to post by SLAYER69


"[I'm not always successful]"

Quoted for truth.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Hey Slayer, (didn't get a U2U that you had a new thread up... )

I think I can do all those things. And please don't disagree with me on this, as I assume you will, or I might have to get ugly!!!

Good thread.

Peace

I try and post on ATS following three rules:

1. He who can argue both (sides) is most informed
2. There is only one truth to any given question, what one may assume to be the truth may not in fact be so; in such a situation it is good to adjust yourself accordingly.
3. Speak unto others as I would have them speak unto me.

Of course that and read the OP

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by sonnny1
when opinions have become the new facts

Actually that's very profound IMHO.

Yes it is.

We live in an age of the "soapbox".

Fact is,its ALWAYS been that way.

The difference now is EVERYONE gets his chance to stand on it.

ATS has given that chance,and so has the internet,with dramatic speed.

And here,opinions are raised as facts. Time and Time again.

Where one member hammers his existence in a far away country,with his/hers own identity,and the opinions that make the person,who they are.

And they have A LOT to say.

reply to post by SLAYER69

Those are some questions I ask myself before I jump into a topic. [I'm not always successful]

same here

Are you?

dunno.

i'd like to think so.

maybe you can answer the question for me.

in the recently closed, bit controversial and (over)heated thread; the hate for america, have at it ATS.

i had a little dialogue with you.

how do you classify me?

(don't fear being honest )

ETA:

awesome thread btw.

rewarded accordingly

Originally posted by loveguy
I guess. I can be wrong, but I doubt it.

Well at least you're being honest

Truth only hurts until the pain goes away. And until we can vote no-confidence, we are going to be in a world of hurt...

I can agree to the no confidence vote sometimes.
[On any given topics/situation]

Originally posted by kn0wh0w
how do you classify me?

(don't fear being honest

)

Staunch in your beliefs.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Wow...I almost didn't recognize you with that new avatar.

I think most ATS members can be and generally are critical thinkers who can separate themselves from the issues. That's why you will see some of them (including me) bashing a certain topic one day, and then supporting it the next.