DON'T MAKE IT A BRAWL

One of the most abused and forgotten concepts in this community is that not everyone is at the same level of research. Length of time involved is not the only measure that comes into play. Areas of interest, theories that interest us, events that have happened, our own experiences all influence what and how we conduct our research. All these factors and more shape our perspective and how we look at things.

Therefore, not all of us see the same things in articles, photographs, theories. What appears obvious to us may be unclear to others. And sadly, it is becoming even more "fashionable" to bash those who we have decided is "stupid", "uneducated", "armchair bigfooter" . . .  

I understand that it can be frustrating when someone is backing something you don't agree with or who has fixated on something that has for the most part been debunked by most in the community. But despite tempers wearing thin when we are not succeeding in getting someone to look at something from our point of view, it is never acceptable to reduce ourselves to the level of thugs. There is nothing but ego that makes us feel entitled to publicly try to humiliate those who may be mistaken in what they say is in that photo, or video. There should never be name calling, condescending attitude, "schooling" of others, swearing, crude language. 

Each of us needs to understand that questions and evidence and theories are not going to always be agreed with by others. What may seem so clear to you, may not be for someone else. However, if you are going to tell someone that you think in your opinion that they are wrong, be prepared to discuss your reasoning on your own decision. If you see some evidence in a different light be prepared to explain why. And to do this while being polite and dignified. And it is also up to us to accept the opinions of those who have disagreed with us, these differences, with dignity and politeness. In other words, contribute to the discussion; don't make it a brawl.

If you have reached a theory or conclusion, hopefully you have done it by research and considered deduction. Be prepared to share your sources, your progression of thought on how you reached your decision. And we should be ready to wait for that explanation and to respectfully consider that view of the situation. As good as we like to think we are, there is a very good chance that we may have missed something, or failed to consider a certain aspect of it. Keeping an open mind means the willingness to consider the "other side" of the story.

Think of all the evidence, all the experiences, all the knowledge that we reject when we dismiss someone's story just because it doesn't fit with what we want to believe. 

WHAT WE WANT TO BELIEVE. 

We all have our pet theory, our pet belief, our pet "truth" -- and we stand firmly on it, refusing to budge an inch. How sad. I'm slowly learning to budge. In fact, it is safe to say I not only learned to budge an inch, I was shoved a mile. Trust me. With an open mind, you will discover things even greater than you imagined.

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."