Have you ever had your mind changed by threads on here?

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 02:25AM #1

The discussions on AH and elsewhere on boards can get a) pretty heated and b) pretty repetitive. It got me thinking, has anybody actually ever changed their mind based on a thread here, or anywhere else online?

Myself, I don't really think that I have. The things I feel strongly about I haven't really flip-flopped on since I've left my teens, though I do like forums like this for giving me an insight into why people feel the way they feel if they feel differently. Certain things that I don't feel particularly strongly about or which are complex issues I've learned a lot about on here or taken a position on the argument, and even debating the things that I do feel strongly about I think that I've been compelled to more fully consider my position.

I'm going to have faith in ye all and assume that this won't turn into "you're the baby killing drug dealing feminazi anti-theistic PC brigade" VS "you're racist homophobic bible-bashers". Come on, we're better than that.

Turtwig · 24-05-2014 02:32AM

Abortion, by Zombrex.

Intelligent Design - by a combination of posters. Was duped by the aethetics thinking it had some plausibility. Not one of my proudest moments.

Social Inequality - SponsoredWalk and a few others who's names I can't think of.

Some various things on politics here and there (not in the actual politics forum mind you).

Nuclear Power- Ninja900 eisraob (or something) and a few others (again apologies for not giving credit where's due.)

Crime rates, punishments, sentence duration that sort of stuff - Peregrinus.

There's a few other things too that I can't think of right now.

stefan idiot jones · 24-05-2014 02:32AM

No, still blinkered.

XIXIX · 24-05-2014 02:34AM

No. Never!! Actually, come to think about it; yes. Yes I have.

uch · 24-05-2014 02:37AM

No absolutely never, but, oh hang on, maybe why?

The Diabolical Monocle · 24-05-2014 02:38AM

AH isn't about changing your mind ... thats for quitters.

You have to dig in deeper, weasel harder and deny every fact outright.

BTW You misspelled 'flat' further proof that your 'sphere' earth idea is nonsense.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 24-05-2014 02:40AM

Nope. Anything I've read on Boards just reinforces my beliefs and reminds me of precisely why I adopted them.

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 02:42AM

The Diabolical Monocle wrote: »

AH isn't about changing your mind ... thats for quitters.

You have to dig in deeper, weasel harder and deny every fact outright.

BTW You misspelled 'flat' further proof that your 'sphere' earth idea is nonsense.

You had better have some peer-reviewed papers for that scurrilous accusation. You post-hoc strawman.

dpofloinn · 24-05-2014 02:42AM

No I only come here to force my opinions on other people

uch · 24-05-2014 02:42AM

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Nope. Anything I've read on Boards just reinforces my beliefs and reminds me of precisely why I adopted them.

Who did you adopt? a baby Gerbill ?

kneemos · 24-05-2014 02:46AM

poundapunnet wrote: »

You had better have some peer-reviewed papers for that scurrilous accusation. You post-hoc strawman.

Every time I hear peer reviewed I automatically take the opposite view.

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 02:48AM

Turtwig wrote: »

Abortion, by Zombrex.

All jokes aside, I'm not going to go searching through 17,000 posts so do you mind me asking which way your change of opinion went? It's the probably the main thing where people fundamentally disagree and a lot of discussion after those fundamentals is a bit pointless, and the thing that people get their knickers in absolute knots over.

Turtwig · 24-05-2014 02:50AM

Pro-life -> Pro-choice.

Lingua Franca · 24-05-2014 02:51AM

Here? On the acceptablity of TV spoilers. Possibly some other things which escape me for now.

On other forums and with other topics, for sure.

Such is the beauty of dissent. Keep an open mind and you can learn and develop. I like debating and discussing with people and I strongly feel that debate and dissent is important in democracy and development.

--LOS-- · 24-05-2014 02:54AM

On boards in general yes. You can't really make up your mind on something unless you have really thought about it, information people post can make you think. Some people are incredibly stubborn and would sooner fight their corner than consider their opinion and change their mind. But everyone has that ability to change their mind, and it shouldn't be seen as a negative that your opinion on something changed, that's only to be respected imo. I wish people would put their egos aside and read more things with an open mind.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 24-05-2014 02:55AM

uch wrote: »

Who did you adopt? a baby Gerbill ?

Seems you forgot the first half of the sentence, as you read the second.

Lingua Franca · 24-05-2014 02:57AM

Turtwig wrote: »

Pro-life -> Pro-choice.

I also went from pro life to pro choice after debating with other people on a forum almost two decades ago. I realised I was arguing from a socially pressured emotional standpoint with no thought given to reason or logic when someone said "You do realise that no one, even pro choicers, actually want any woman to have an abortion, right?" No, I hadn't realised that, because I believed that they were all baby murdering psychos, and not people with full compassion for those in the most desperate of circumstances.

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 03:02AM

kneemos wrote: »

Every time I hear peer reviewed I automatically take the opposite view.

Ehm, why? I wouldn't automatically take the opposite view, but do try not to take 'peer reviewed' as validation of my views if I don't understand the paper linked.

Turtwig wrote: »

Pro-life -> Pro-choice.

That is very interesting! I'm involved in a lot of abortion rights and lefty organisations and most of what I hear is people going the opposite direction as they get older, to be honest it gets boring after a while and you get sick of preaching to the choir even if it's what you fervently believe. I would like to get some details from you at some point. On an abstract level I do like having that debate and in principle I'm open to changing my mind

Edit apparently I've misread 'from pro-life TO choice' as 'pro-life is more than pro-choice'

WilyCoyote · 24-05-2014 03:04AM

I must thank AH for changing me. I've become more stubborn. Go boards.ie

meoklmrk91 · 24-05-2014 03:04AM

I don't know if I have had my mind changed on anything really. But I think it's certainly made me come at things from a different direction, I always thought I was right and would easily get heated in an argument, now I can have a debate about pretty much anything both on here and in real life without loosing the plot, attack the post not the poster has really made me a better debater for sure. It has taught me that everyone has a valid opinion and its important to try and listen and see where they are coming from. And most importantly that I am not always right.

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 03:06AM

--LOS-- wrote: »

On boards in general yes. You can't really make up your mind on something unless you have really thought about it, information people post can make you think. Some people are incredibly stubborn and would sooner fight their corner than consider their opinion and change their mind. But everyone has that ability to change their mind, and it shouldn't be seen as a negative that your opinion on something changed, that's only to be respected imo. I wish people would put their egos aside and read more things with an open mind.

The main thing that I've taken from boards is that there are idiots on either side of any debate that will argue that black is blue if it means that they can get a dig in.

kneemos · 24-05-2014 03:09AM

poundapunnet wrote: »

Ehm, why? I wouldn't automatically take the opposite view, but do try not to take 'peer reviewed' as validation of my views if I don't understand the paper linked.

That is very interesting! I'm involved in a lot of abortion rights and lefty organisations and most of what I hear is people going the opposite direction as they get older, to be honest it gets boring after a while and you get sick of preaching to the choir even if it's what you fervently believe. I would like to get some details from you at some point. On an abstract level I do like having that debate and in principle I'm open to changing my mind

Edit apparently I've misread 'from pro-life TO choice' as 'pro-life is morpe than pro-choice'

Possibly because people throw them out and expect it to be taken as gospel,plus I hate the term peer reviewed.

uch · 24-05-2014 03:09AM

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Seems you forgot the first half of the sentence, as you read the second.

So it was a Gerbill !

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 03:12AM

kneemos wrote: »

Possibly because people throw them out and expect it to be taken as gospel,plus I hate the term peer reviewed.

So don't take it as gospel. That's exactly what I said. Nobody's making you.

Rosy Posy · 24-05-2014 03:16AM

I didn't think I was a feminist, but through a discussion in tll I realised that what I thought feminism was and what it actually was were two different things, and it turns out that I was a feminist all along...my mammy will be so proud

.

--LOS-- · 24-05-2014 03:17AM

poundapunnet wrote: »

The main thing that I've taken from boards is that there are idiots on either side of any debate that will argue that black is blue if it means that they can get a dig in.

ye that's true, such is life :P

But what bothers me more is getting accused of forcing an opinion on others. Are people so worried about being brain-washed by reading a post? I've no intention of forcing an opinion on anybody, all I can do is give people information, share my own opinion, and then they can do their own research and make up their own mind.

Sir Arthur Daley · 24-05-2014 03:18AM

I didnt think Keith Barry was a real magician till I was convinced here on AH.

--LOS-- · 24-05-2014 03:30AM

Rosy Posy wrote: »

I didn't think I was a feminist, but through a discussion in tll I realised that what I thought feminism was and what it actually was were two different things, and it turns out that I was a feminist all along...my mammy will be so proud .

Ye I think that's one a lot of people could change their minds on. People view feminists as being anti-men, when it's really just about gender equality, does that sum it up pretty much?

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 03:33AM

--LOS-- wrote: »

ye that's true, such is life :P

But what bothers me more is getting accused of forcing an opinion on others. Are people so worried about being brain-washed by reading a post? I've no intention of forcing an opinion on anybody, all I can do is give people information, share my own opinion, and then they can do their own research and make up their own mind.

Exactly! I'm generally a fairly lefty person but I have some pretty right-wing views too, I dislike getting lumped in with one or t'other. And I only love having proper dispassionate arguments with people because I want to understand. I'm not forcing my beliefs on anyone, and nobody is forcing them on me

RDM_83 again · 24-05-2014 03:49AM

I can't remember which user posted a bit about the trauma of adoption even if it was willing, that made me think.

On AH though no, I have become more informed about stuff from other boards forums but never had my views changed properly

poundapunnet · 24-05-2014 03:51AM

--LOS-- wrote: »

Ye I think that's one a lot of people could change their minds on. People view feminists as being anti-men, when it's really just about gender equality, does that sum it up pretty much?

Absolutely honestly, I'm a vegetarian lesbian feminist and I totally understand people who meet the criteria not wanting to identify with the names. Just like someone who's a Christian wouldn't want to identify with George Bush or something.

Yes I'm a feminist but I have no interest in a movement which says that men can't be raped, all penetrative sex is rape, math is sexist, shelters for male victims of domestic violence are sexist, white women are as equally victimised black males, preferential treatment should be given to mothers automatically in custody cases, sexism only applies to women etc. Everything I've just said has been said by prominent feminists in the past ten years.

Hell yeah I'm a feminist, insofar as I believe that society is set up to think of me differently if I'm a woman, and that everything has been and still is (though it's changing) inclined towards men.

#shouldn't have quoted LOS
#whatever
#I had thoughts about stuff
#drugs

Have you ever had your mind changed by threads on here?

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