Assertions
I’m starting to think that the biggest barrier to productive conversation is that people have a tendency to just assert crap. You know how on shows like Jerry Springer, people repeat the same sentence over and over?
I don’t know why people bother. Repeating the same thing doesn’t somehow justify it. It may work as propoganda, I guess. Good for shouting people down. But it makes you look dumb.
I’ve known people like this. I’ve known them better than I’d like to admit. It’s irritating to have someone seriously repeat the same damn sentence over and over. If you believe X, don’t just say X! X! X! Say x (lowercase, please don’t shout), because y and z. It’s simple. It’s friendly.
That’s not to say that problems can always be solved with rational, reasonable discussion. But it’s a lot more enjoyable that way.