Hey Lovelies!
So I'm coming to you today with a different kind of post - for a while now I have been contemplating the idea of posting up a weekly debate on my blog for people to get involved in.
I really enjoy a good, intelligent debate - and what do you need in order to have a real debate?! You need at least one party defending each opposing point of view of course! So I was thinking it would be good to have one person representing each point of view, and have readers comment with their thoughts and opinions.
Now, the whole point of a debate is for each party to give their opinions in a rounded, well balanced manner - and to give explanations, reasons, and examples to back up their thinking.
Part of the reason that I enjoy debates so much is that it can be very eye-opening to take part in them - there have even been occasions when I have changed my mind on a subject after hearing somebody's opposing opinion in a debate, such can be the power of a well-balanced and intelligent opinion being offered.
But what has stopped me so far from starting this weekly debate post on my blog?
Well, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are simply incapable of using their intellect to give a balanced and well-rounded opinion, and are unable to control themselves - people who basically think its ok to try to bully other people when they don't agree with their opinions, and are only able to make child-like statements such as "you're wrong" or "you sound stupid" - without giving any reasons or explanations for their own points of view.
Its a shame.
But one thing that has bothered me much more in recent hours is one blogger who saw fit to start a debate on her own blog, asking for the opinions of her readers on the subject of "Tattoos at Ascot" (not such a life or death subject, I know!)
Her blog does not have many followers (Which is not too surprising in all honesty, as her previous posts include topics such as "Don't you hate it when you're just so cool that your friends try and copy what you're wearing, people should never buy an item of clothing that their friend also owns..." etc etc. Something I may have thought when I was 7 years old and have since grown out of.) and so, sadly, there were not many commenters offering their opinions - there was only myself and 2 other people who responded.
The other two people agreed with her on the subject, so of course that was fine. I was the only person who took an opposing point of view and I gave my reasons and experiences, explaining them in a clear and concise manner.
To cut a long story short - this girl was one of "those" people who simply can not cope when people have their own opinions on a subject that do not match her own.
Not once did she try to debate the topic maturely, instead she just called me "stupid", "A fool", "hypocritical" (even when I asked her to point out exactly where I had shown any hypocrisy and she was unable to do so, because it hadn't happened), "wrong" and tried to blame our difference in opinions on our "generation gap" (I am 6 years older than her, we were both born in the 1980s - I'm not sure how this is a "generation gap").
In the end, the girl decided that - since she was incapable of responding to me in an intelligent manner without resorting to name calling - she would delete my comments!
Now, someone please explain to me, what is the point of starting a debate if you are not open to opinions of other people?!
I have saved the threads and am considering posting them on my blog, as I would be interested in hearing the opinions of other people and also think its only fair that I have the chance to show my final response to her - without her deleting it.
So what are your thoughts on the subject of debate?!
And don't worry - I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong or stupid if you have a different opinion than my own ;)
