Discussing politics and other contentious sunjects online feels to me like it’s counterproductive these days and even though I try not to get suckered in, I often can’t help myself. Usually though I just end up feeling frustrated and sometimes angry at the other person either missing my points or refusing to accept them.
Thinking back to conversations I’ve had here and previously on Reddit, not only can I not remember an example of me “winning” the discussion and the other person changing their mind or conceding the point, I also cannot think of a time where my mind was changed either.
So have you ever begun a discussion online with someone with a different view point to yours and either you, or they, changed the others mind?
The only times I have had my mind changed are when I merely listened, and heard, and said nothing. It is tough to be vulnerable enough to be open to change. I think that even approaching it as a debate implies being combative, and thus makes it hard to be vulnerable.
There is also that some people just aren’t online to convince anyone of their point of view, or to be convinced otherwise, but just to say what they want to say and find people who agree with them. You’re most likely not going to change their mind because they just aren’t even in a position to entertain that there is something that could change.
There is one time I’d like to think I brought up something that the person hasn’t considered… But, if I’m generous, it only brought nuance to the subject.