Something to Consider

[OldGreyEagle]

This is just something to keep in mind

 

If during a thread you have to use a sentence like, "thats not what I meant at all" or "I dont know how you got that from what I wrote" for the third time or more, it may be time to consider a few things:

 

A. Your prose is not as cogent as you thought. Look at my example, I thought I was going to launch a discussion about who was the better ball player, Ty Cobb or Pete Rose and I end up singing Cub fan songs. So, if you have to post other 3 times how misunderstood you are, perhaps you need to work on your presentation

 

B. The person you think is mis-stating your position is doing it to get a reaction out of you so perhaps the best move is to move on.

 

Well, those are my two points, I am sure many more can and will be added, but just because someone says they dont agree with you doesnt mean you have to move heaven and earth to change their opinion. Diversity of thought makes us strong and from what I can tell, this is one muscular place(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[FireKat]

(standing up for an ovation)

Bravo!! Well stated and great advice!!

Let's all give OGE a big hand!

[FScouter]

Ah hah, so you're saying that if we don't understand something you wrote then it's because we're stoopid? It's not very Scout-like to call other people stoopid you know. (insert smily thingy) (which means I don't mean what I just said but I said it anyway with a smily thingy so I'm off the hook for being rude, or whatever that thingy is supposed to mean.)

 

Relative to re-stating another person's position, a simple "could you re-word that?" would be more effective. It's his opinion, let him restate it. The audience must really question the motive when someone re-writes the position of another, making it read idiotically extreme in the process, and prefacing it with "so what you're saying is ..." . We have a few masters of that art here.

 

[gwd-scouter]

I know you believe you understand what you think I said; but what you fail to realize is that what you heard is not what I meant.

[Oak Tree]

Ah, FScouter, I'm not sure you quite have the hang of the smileys yet. :-)

 

The intentional creation of a rude statement, with an appended smiley as a supposed get-out-of-jail free card, just doesn't end up passing muster. It still, in fact, comes across as rude.

 

Which I guess is the point that you're trying to make about other posters, but the thing is, the other posters are actually saying things in a friendly way - I'm sorry if you don't see that.

[John-in-KC]

Feedback is a gift, OGE is giving his

 

Thanks my friend.

[Oak Tree]

Oh, yes, if I was taking the thread off on a tangent - sorry. That's not what I meant to do at all :-)

 

OGE - your point is well taken.

 

I'd add one more suggestion - if someone responds to your position, but restates your position in a slightly different fashion, you don't need to go nuts and assume that they are maliciously misrepresenting you.

 

A: I feel like my existence is meaningless.

B: Why do you think your life has no meaning?

A: Did I say 'life'? NO - I said 'existence'! Stop putting words in my mouth!

[dan]

WHATEVER

need a roll eyes smily face here