frustrated

Sometimes… this is how I feel. Completely and utterly frustrated with things, so much so, that I just want to throw my hands up and scream.

For the past two days, things that I have said have caused a handful of people to just go on the warpath, and continually berate me about how wrong I am, and why. What is missing from what they have decided to argue with me about, is what I believe, and why my opinion is just as valid as theirs. I am all for having a discussion with anyone about their views, and I am all for someone disagreeing with me, but my desire to continually go back and forth with someone ceases when the person with which I am speaking continually tells me I am wrong, and they are right, if for no other reason, than because they are right. Also, when people say that I am a certain way, and that they have determined this based on one thing that I have said, I get extremely irritated, especially when this picture they have painted of me simply isn’t true. I want to be fair and say that I enjoy people coming to this site and expressing their opinions, this is in no way a request for that to end. I am totally fine with you saying that you don’t agree with what I am saying. I am even fine with you pointing out how I was wrong, and helping me to see a different perspective. But what I am not fine with, is coming here, taking things that I say, and then using them to describe me as delusional, irrational, and living in a dream world, because that simply isn’t true.

If I were constantly writing about crazy off the wall shit, that I believed to be factual and correct, then I can see where this would come from, but that isn’t what I have ever done on this blog, so this form of proving me wrong is a little confusing to me. Most of the time I write about something, it is to offer my opinion on what I think of something that is going on in the news or in the world. While that opinion may not work for you, it is MY opinion, and I am not delusional or irrational just because I don’t have an opinion that is a carbon copy of your own. If you want to continually think this way about anything or everything that I write about, that is fine, but I don’t see how it is productive to continually come here and see who can shout the loudest, causing us to go back and forth, all the while getting nowhere. If, on the other hand, you want to talk about my opinion, refrain from insulting my intelligence during the discussion, and avoid using an all or nothing allegory to describe what I have said, then I welcome your input on the subject. Don’t mistake this as a notice that I will begin moderating or removing comments that I don’t approve of; as I have said before, and I will always believe, the only time I will remove a comment, is when someone directly attacks me, which I find inappropriate, and since it is my blog, I can extinguish.

All in all, I am glad that you read my blog, and that you actually take the time to hear what I have to say. What I want for the future of this blog, is less of a dick measuring contest to determine who is the “rightest”, and more of a dialogue, which may result in a more well rounded perspective. I honestly believe that while we may not agree on something, there is definitely a gray area on every issue, and a “best” choice about something is definitely subjectively determined. While that is the case, I think that a happy medium is often the best stance, and given the way the past two days worth of back and forth guerrilla finger pointing have gone, I think that we can find a better way to converse, and ultimately, either agree, come to a middle ground, or agree to disagree. Remember, I have changed my views on things in the past based on being shown different perspectives, and by being open minded, and I can guarantee that the same thing will occur in the future. What I will not tolerate, is people continually twisting what I say, and using all or nothing comparisons to invalidate my opinions just because those opinions don’t work for them.

Again, thanks for reading my blog, and I hate writing posts like this, but this one has been actually very cathartic. I feel that this is a more civil and responsible way to express what I have felt continually for the past couple of days, and I hope that it is a step in a new, and better direction. Remember, I welcome your feedback, in fact, I look forward to it, but please realize that you don’t have to hammer it home that I am so wrong that I am delusional, just to get me to recognize that you have a differing, and equally valid, opinion. Thanks for listening.