Different ideas?

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Feb 12, 2022
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I don't mean this as either is wrong... But do you enjoy different ideas and perspectives, or prefer to be surrounded by people who share the ideas you have?

This was particularly inspired by the JRE/Cam/Rinella thread...

Personally, I'm pretty conservative in my thoughts/behavior.

I enjoy hearing different perspectives, and that they make me think about stuff from different perspectives. I listen to a lot of podcasts from across the spectrum (not Rogan, I think he's been annoying since News Radio ended), I appreciate the depth and texture different ideas bring to the table. Even though they very rarely change mine.

Same with people. My wife and closest friends have similar perspectives to me. But I love talking to people with different backgrounds, ideas, lifestyles...
 

MattB

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I like being exposed to different ideas. Easy enough to disagree and not accept them - for me at least.

My perspective is people enclosing themselves in ideological comfort bubbles is a big problem in the US today. I read a headline today that 1 in 3 GenZ'ers wouldn't want to be friends with anyone who voted for a different presidential candidate than they did.
 

Yoder

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My friends and the majority of my family are conservative. I would never hang out with people who weren't. I do however like to hear different ideas if they are logical and based in facts not some made up ideology. I like the truth. It doesn't matter if it aligns with my ideas, I want to hear it. This was a huge reason I left a forum I was a member of for years. It was nothing but an echo chamber for conservatives. I was told to keep my mouth shut for criticizing Trump when he made mistakes. Just because they are "on your side" doesn't mean everything they do is right. I would even bet Biden has done something I agree with in the last few years.
 
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Im down to have a good conversation with any group that doesn’t think the rest of society is living their life prior to epiphany. Multiple religions and orientations come to mind, same with Android users and tree saddle hunters lol
 

nobody

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For me, it depends to what extent we differ. If they’re from the opposite end of the “spectrum” that doesn’t necessarily mean I can’t have a good conversation and get along with them. Where I draw the line is when it becomes a situation where the other person isn’t so much attempting to educate me on their position, as they are trying to just shove their ideals down my throat. I’m DEFINITELY AND UNQUESTIONABLY far to the right of center politically and ideologically, but also nowhere near right wing extreme. My brother married a girl who is basically smack dead center politically and we definitely don’t see eye to eye on everything, but I love my sister in law and we have a great familial relationship, and she’s great to my brother and my nephew, and we happily do a ton together as a family in the way of double dates and vacations.

I’ve worked with some very left leaning coworkers, and have had many great conversations and would go so far as to consider them friends in some sense.

The worst has been my maternal cousins, who are WAY further to the left than I am to the right. Like to the point of championing socialism and communism. I’ve NEVER brought up politics around them, but they’ve come at me at multiple family events when I was wearing an American flag swimsuit or when I wore a t shirt with “We the People” on it or when I was discussing hunting rifles with my brother, dad, and uncle. They just have a tendency to insert themselves into whatever conversation, take it political, and turn it into a gag session. I’ve walked out of multiple family events and family reunions, to the point I just preemptively avoid being within earshot of them ever.

So to answer the question, I’m not afraid (and honestly rather enjoy) to have the conversation or be around people who differ politically and ideologically. It’s the way change is perpetuated in this crazy world. But I’m also not above ignoring or leaving a conversation or situation where the goal is to force ideas down my throat rather than have a civil conversation.
 
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I like meeting and talking with people that have different ideas than me as long as they feel the same way and are not living in their own bubble. In fact, I may enjoy it more than talking with people just like me. You don't learn much if you only talk to versions of yourself.

This forum is full of people that want to live in an echo chamber.
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
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I don't mean this as either is wrong... But do you enjoy different ideas and perspectives, or prefer to be surrounded by people who share the ideas you have?

This was particularly inspired by the JRE/Cam/Rinella thread...

Personally, I'm pretty conservative in my thoughts/behavior.

I enjoy hearing different perspectives, and that they make me think about stuff from different perspectives. I listen to a lot of podcasts from across the spectrum (not Rogan, I think he's been annoying since News Radio ended), I appreciate the depth and texture different ideas bring to the table. Even though they very rarely change mine.

Same with people. My wife and closest friends have similar perspectives to me. But I love talking to people with different backgrounds, ideas, lifestyles...
I seek out folks with differing opinions about various aspects of life. I typically don’t agree with most though. No offense but I don’t agree with your assessment of yourself being conservative based on your posts here. Maybe Id be proven wrong in real life though.
 
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In my experience, people generally tend to associate with others or communities that share the same values or are in the same tax bracket. I would also say that the media blows shit out of proportion and the country is nowhere near as divided as they would have us believe.

Do I value outside or differing perspectives? Absolutely. Would I enjoy having a conversation with someone who challenged my position on wolf reintroduction, grizzly management, squatter’s rights, population expansion, exporting urban social values to rural areas, the southern border’s immigration dumpster fire, removing common core from the education system, over-prioritizing the future of electric vehicles, increasing corporate accountability, synthetic clothing taking a backseat to natural fiber clothing, FFP vs SFP scopes, putting a salary cap on collegiate football coaches, having term limits for politicians, age limits for serving as president, why the yoga pants revolution was the single greatest thing to happen for women’s clothing since the two-piece bathing suit, or if a cup of coffee is actually worth the $8 people are paying for it? Yes sir, sign me up and let’s have a conversation about it.
 

Weldor

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You know the old saying" opinions are like ______e's" everybody has one. I respect that.
 

CorbLand

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I have some friends that are the opposite side of the political and religious spectrum than I am. We are still friends and enjoy spending time with each other, we just don’t talk about politics or religion.
 
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I'm interested in other peoples perspective but have no interest in changing them. I avoid religion like the plague. I think that is a personal issue. I'm a dedicated independent politically and try to focus on both short term and long term solutions.

I don't believe identifying the problem has any value unless you have possible solutions or at least a path to look for a solution. I'm firm believer in 'the devil is in the details'.
 

TaperPin

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The arrival and explosion of social media closely matches the increased divisiveness across all groups, from hobbies, to work, to family and politics. I had hoped the younger generations would adapt and develop better filters to weed out disinformation, but based on the influencers they listen to and get information from the jury is still out. Lol

The real test is just beginning with the first significant AI push into every aspect of life. Even forums like this will have AI controls that automatically amplify certain ideas, and stir the pot in whatever way the host wants, and slow down members or ideas that rock the boat. Every aspect of life that can be influenced, will be, and much more than it is today.

Did anyone catch that company that lost millions because of a fake IA generated zoom call between an employee and upper management that convinced her the money transfer they requested was legit. Real people are out of work since AI porn is good enough to take over only fans! Lol

AI bots will be what many of us will unknowingly become friends with online, even look up to. I don’t worry about controversial politicians that sell half baked ideas to easily influenced people and are such a train wreck they eventually fade away, but the AI influencers that will always say the exact right thing to an entire nation and never fade away.

It’s nice to see people encouraging others to look for information from a variety of sources. Just like only listening to only uncle Ralph about his favorite hunting rifles may not give the best picture of what’s out there.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
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I find it’s very rare for people to actually be open to ideas different than their own. Some people will listen but then are desperate to get in the last word because they feel that makes them right. And this is not limited to politics. The reason I think most people gravitate towards people that share their same beliefs is we love being told we are right. My personal belief is it is good to be challenged on our beliefs because it gives us an opportunity to examine ourselves and ask why we believe what we believe.
 
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