Tossing this question out for the people of NeoGAF, but any anecdotes about others would be welcome.
People get into heated debates all the time on reddit, Neogaf, etc. So much energy, research, anger, vitriol, effort, & fact-checking- yet does any of it actually work? Is anyone's mind ever changed? I'm not talking about small things like 'which are the best sneakers'. I'm talking about 'Is climate change caused by humans', abortion, military spending, the death penalty, healthcare (US), transgender rights, gay marriage, affirmative action, and so on. Not people on the fence of contentious issues (like should the minimum wage be $12 or $15), but whether or not the minimum wage should exist all type stuff. Is anyone actually moved or is it just a bunch of wasted time?
I didn't remember it feeling so hopeless. My story: I used to be strongly against hunting in all forms. I hated the idea of anyone picking up a gun and shooting an animal. I'm not a vegetarian or anything, but it was just something I believed. I didn't think a non-farmer should be out there killing wild animals. After listening to a debate in college in my speech communications class, I now believe that some forms of hunting are okay (and can actually be a good thing). I flipped to the other side of an issue. Likewise, I used to be in favour of the death penalty and now I'm strongly against it.
People get into heated debates all the time on reddit, Neogaf, etc. So much energy, research, anger, vitriol, effort, & fact-checking- yet does any of it actually work? Is anyone's mind ever changed? I'm not talking about small things like 'which are the best sneakers'. I'm talking about 'Is climate change caused by humans', abortion, military spending, the death penalty, healthcare (US), transgender rights, gay marriage, affirmative action, and so on. Not people on the fence of contentious issues (like should the minimum wage be $12 or $15), but whether or not the minimum wage should exist all type stuff. Is anyone actually moved or is it just a bunch of wasted time?
I didn't remember it feeling so hopeless. My story: I used to be strongly against hunting in all forms. I hated the idea of anyone picking up a gun and shooting an animal. I'm not a vegetarian or anything, but it was just something I believed. I didn't think a non-farmer should be out there killing wild animals. After listening to a debate in college in my speech communications class, I now believe that some forms of hunting are okay (and can actually be a good thing). I flipped to the other side of an issue. Likewise, I used to be in favour of the death penalty and now I'm strongly against it.