This comes from explaining my point of view to another friend who again came back with "You make a really good point." The amount of times that I have heard this statement in my life from teachers, friends, customers, fellow students, strangers and even random teenagers through xbox utterly astounds me. I can be opinionated at times, which as a result means that people get into debates with me. This is a mistake. I have spent most of my schooling life mastering the art of bullshit. This is a skill in which you take minimal information and make it sound fucking awesome. This skill got my friend a B+ on an assignment which I wrote for her in the lunch hour based on the blurb of a book and reading the last page. It is something I am a MASTER at.
Now, my opinion is not formed just on my opinion, I take into consideration your opinion, the majority's opinion, the facts that I know and then form an articulate arguement about it. THIS IS THE KEY! ARTICULATE PEOPLE! "You're wrong" is not a suitable form of debate.
Let's take for example one of the teenage boys off xbox who think they are so cool for saying shit like "Get back in the kitchen Bitch!" Lets do this in a recap manner so you can see what I do.
Boy: "Get back in the kitchen Nutty Princess"
Me: "Now why would I go do that, this is my gaming time"
Boy: "Women belong in the kitchen" *He then giggles and so do his friends*
Me: "Well now, if we are going to start referring to times when this was widely believed, then by my logic, you would be working by now, and therefore would not have time to play xbox"
Boy: "Shut the fuck up and make me a sandwich"
Me: "Also, I would like to point out that speaking to a female that way, regardless of who you are in front of shows a lack of intelligence. Did you know that studies have shown that people who bully, tease, or belittle strangers are doing so because they lack the brain capacity to hold articulate conversations with people?" *** Please note, I know of no such study, this is the bullshit part :)
Boy: "Yeah.. well.. studies have shown your mum is fat"
Me: "Now, now, I am trying to be polite and explain to you the flaws in your arguement. I am also trying to indicate to you the way you appear to people who hold a higher brain capacity than you."
Boy: "Why would I care?:
Me: "Well, think about this a moment, what happens if I was a girl from your school, that really pretty one that you want to talk to but don't have the balls to. What happens if I am her, and I am playing this to get closer to you. The way you just spoke to me would indicate that I want nothing to do with you."
Boy "Yeah.. but you're not."
Me: "Thats true, but what if I am a friend of hers, or her sister, or her boss, or a friend of your mum or dad, or your boss, or someone you work with? Do you think that speaking in such a manner is appropriate?"
Boy: "Spose not.."
Me: "I really don't care if you truly believe that women belong in the kitchen, that is your perogative, however I really must stress the fact that you should think about what you say before you say it, as it is offensive, sexist, outdated and just plain rude."
Boy: "Yeah, Spose"
Me: "So, am I to assume that it is ok that I am playing Call of Duty, and not in the kitchen."
Boy: "Yeah man, thats fine.. you're pretty cool"
There have been times where the boys have resorted to "LALALA I'm not listening" which does make me wonder about the youth of today, but this teenage boy, who was adament that women belong in the kitchen... well I changed his opinion. I logged on the next day using Troys account, joined the game the kid was in, in time to hear him give one of his friends the same speech I had given him, less articulate.. with alot of "man" "bro" and "Just dont do it"s but part of me was so proud. He had not only seen my point of view, but felt it valid enough to share it.
So, I was not only right, I made a good enough point that he had to share it :)
I know that often my opinion can offend people, particularly when it comes to things like religion, and I try to form an argument that is suitable and unoffensive. I think the major difference is. I don't care what you think or believe, you could believe that the grass is blue, the sky is red and that cats are the lords of the universe. Thats fine, it is what you believe. I will however explain my belief to you as well. I dont care if you agree with mine either, I will however make you understand my point of view, just like I will ask you to make me understand yours. That is.. unless you are just plain stupid or ignorant, then you will likely tell me I am wrong and my belief is wrong.
People that anger me the most in this world, that I cannot stand. IGNORANT or STUPID people. I am not talking about people who just aren't as smart as the rest of the world, or those with disabilities, injuries or conditions. They are not stupid. I am talking about the people with the capability to use their brain, but choose to go with not using it because it is easier. I can handle opinionated, I can handle religious, I can handle strange. I cannot, under any circumstances handle ignorant or stupid.
There is a difference between ignorant and stupid. Ignorant people can (occassionally) be made to see the error of their ways. Yes, I call it an error. To me, an ignorant person is not someone who chooses to have a belief and stay with it. Lets take for example religion. I have many religious friends, who I hope are reading this. I adore you. Not because of your faith, but because you have faith, you have that undying faith in something, and you do not look down upon me because I don't. You don't try to change me, you accept me as I am for who I am.
Ignorant religious people, are those who have told me I am going to hell because I have tattoos and piercings, that god will smite me where I stand for living the way I am. They are the ones who tell me that if I don't go to church my soul will go to hell when I die.
I mean, my friends may believe that, but they have the forethought, the intelligence and the decency to not voice it. To either ignore that part of me, or accept me regardless of it.
Ignorant vs Non-ignorant
Ignorant is not willing to accept change, make change, or accept anything that is different from their belief. Non-ignorant, sticks to their belief, but is willing to accept that the world does not all have the same point of view, they are willing to accept things and people that differ from their views and belief.
Now stupid people.. that is a whole other ball game. Some of the most stupid people are some of the most intelligent. They are the people who do things without thinking, the people who act upon emotion (constantly), they are the person who slams on their brakes because they are sure they missed the turn. The person at work who does things their way regardless of how it is meant to be done. They are the person sitting there crying "Why did they leave me?" when they had cheated on their partner. They are the people who do not think! The person who drives their car into the ground without ever getting a service and doesnt understand why it broke down. They are the person who rather than discuss an issue they ignore the other person completely, then gets pissed off when the other person does it back. I have a million others to add, but society on a whole is getting stupid. So so Stupid.
Anyways, I make a good point. That is what this post is meant to be about. The reason that I am able to make a good point, or come across as it, or at least close, is because I not only acknowledge that people think differently to myself, but I take that into account when I am replying to that person. For example, religion really holds no value to me, I will explain further in another post, but I have the utmost respect for my friends who do. I NEVER tell them that they are wrong, or that their religion has no value, or that there is no God, because that is simply my belief, my belief is right to me, but it is not right to anyone else. I will however stand my ground and bite back if someone starts trying to force their beliefs on me, and that right there is the difference.
I talk, I talk about anything, anytime, if it comes up in conversation I normally have an opinion on the topic, if you know me, you know I am not lying. I am passionate, I am opinionated, but very rarely do I tell anyone that they are wrong, or that I am completely right and there is no way to avoid that. I will talk until the other person understands my viewpoint. I don't care if they like it, hate it, as long as they understand it. Normally with that understanding, people will then agree with me, or tell me i make a good point or "That makes sense"
In this time and age people being ignorant is outdated, and being stupid is becoming more and more common. As things like google take the place of libraries. Printouts and harddrives work more than our brains, we no longer think about things, because we have our computers and Iphones to think for us. (I am guilty of this at times too) The one thing that I refuse to give to a computer though is my rationalisation skills, the way in which I think. Do I remember everything that I have learnt through uni, oh hell no. But, I do remember the skills, essay writing, fact checking, researching, these skills I can use anywhere. I may be tech savvy, and a gamer, and I am definately an electronics girl, but I refuse to become one of these ignorant zombies who look down on people that are different from me, or one of these stupid morons who choose not to use their brains for their ultimate function... to think!
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