How do you think scientific progress happens? They didn't just have flame wars in the past, they literally set humans alight. Even today, science is a very emotive topic (I studied economic history, people have fierce arguments around 17th century agricultural practices...humans are emotional beings).
I think the problem today is that people are unwilling to debate emotional issues, unwilling to have their own views challenged, and confuse their own emotional response to some topics with their own feelings of safety and well-being.
It is perfectly fine to have strong opinions, but because you hold a strong opinion does not mean you have to go to the grave with it.
Also, I am not really sure that there as many flame wars as people think. A lot of what people call "flame wars" are people attempting to trigger other people. If you get triggered by what someone says online, you only have yourself to blame.
> people attempting to trigger other people. If you get triggered by what someone says online, you only have yourself to blame.
In one breath you say there are people going around trying to upset others, and then in the next breath you blame a completely different group of people for the predictable outcome of this.
Also I dare you to name even a single example of scientific progress that has resulted from an online flame war. Everyone I've seen simply consists of people shouting the same talking points back and forth with no one changing their mind, let alone learning anything new
How do you think scientific progress happens? They didn't just have flame wars in the past, they literally set humans alight. Even today, science is a very emotive topic (I studied economic history, people have fierce arguments around 17th century agricultural practices...humans are emotional beings).
I think the problem today is that people are unwilling to debate emotional issues, unwilling to have their own views challenged, and confuse their own emotional response to some topics with their own feelings of safety and well-being.
It is perfectly fine to have strong opinions, but because you hold a strong opinion does not mean you have to go to the grave with it.
Also, I am not really sure that there as many flame wars as people think. A lot of what people call "flame wars" are people attempting to trigger other people. If you get triggered by what someone says online, you only have yourself to blame.
> people attempting to trigger other people. If you get triggered by what someone says online, you only have yourself to blame.
In one breath you say there are people going around trying to upset others, and then in the next breath you blame a completely different group of people for the predictable outcome of this.
Also I dare you to name even a single example of scientific progress that has resulted from an online flame war. Everyone I've seen simply consists of people shouting the same talking points back and forth with no one changing their mind, let alone learning anything new
You have explained the mindset I am referring to. Thanks. Saved me time.