KnifeMissile

In my opinion, you're an idiot for thinking that it's that simple...

Okay, so it lacked maturity but I think it still demonstrates my point...

Unfortunately, I think Halx's suggestions are neither possible nor desirable. They're laudable goals but as shakran has suggested, there are many topics (many of which will be the more interesting ones on this forum) are intensely important to the participants and they're going to debate their positions vehemently.

For instance, I hope I demonstrated (with playful glib which I hope is obvious) above that the mere words "in my opinion" is simply not enough. People feel that if their opinion is attacked then they're attacked and that position is not entirely unwarranted.

"I think drugs should be legalized."
"You're an idiot"

This is obvously unacceptable. However, how about attacking their position instead?

"I think drugs should be legalized."
"Anyone who thinks that drugs should be legalized is an idiot and here's why..."

Again, it's pretty transparent that someone is calling someone else an idiot. But if you feel that a position is foolish then the person who holds that position is going to feel that you're calling them foolish... mostly because you are! But that's the nature of disagreement. People are going to take some of these opposing positions personally, especially if the position is personal to them.

I think people should just grow up and not take other people's opposition so hard. Grow a "thicker skin," as it were. Personally, I think there should be less debates and more communication in an attempt to actually understand the other side but I've learned that I can't convince everyone (or even most people) to take this route. They'd rather be dead than red... I mean, wrong. They'd rather be dead than wrong so they must debate their side so that they can, at least, be plausibly "right." A foolish notion if I've ever heard one but... can I tell them that? I don't want to offend anyone....

My favourite example (and maybe I'm starting to ramble here) is if you're talking about yourself in an unfavourable light. Maybe a lot of people don't know this about me (even though I've brought it up a couple of times) but I'm a staunch defender of pedaphilic rights. Pedaphiles are not bad people and are totally villified in our society. Yet, I'm pretty sure that if anyone wanted to talk about their pedaphilic inclinations or even anything involving them that people will judge him harshly using, at least, the "non-insult" insults that I alluded to, above. Seriously, let me bring up how pedaphilia is legal and watch all the "slippery slope" arguments get thrown on the screen...