I like your avatar.

I think the image reveals a desire to fit into a place where there isn’t really a good fit. I do think that I’m a ‘thinker’ though, and that I’m perceived as a thinker.

I’m always pleased to see your posts because I appreciate good writing and rational thought. Kind of a rare commodity in this day and age.

I'm not from this day or age - I'm a leftover from the 20'th century, keeping my head down in spaces where I don't exactly fit.

All constrained to the same white posting box, with the same alphabet, same bold feature, etc., same words, yet after even only a few posts, each of our personalities come through as starkly distinct from one another. We are all amazing!

For that, I truly think you each deserve my respect, fellow thinkers about what the hell thinking means, or is, or what meaning means, putting their souls on display inside a small white box of words in the process.

And I hope you see me giving that respect in my posts. None of this matters to me without that respect. Even those of you who might argue no one need deserve any special respect - I still respect you despite yourself, and would be willing to try to discuss respect with you. I believe we have to give respect for no reason. It is only earned because the other to whom respect is given might accept that respect - whether they accept it or not isn't why you give it. Who and what they are, namely, a whole human being, is why respect is already owed.

That said, summing up some other poster's whole person as an "idiot" is never helpful. I think we truly are incapable of judging another whole person as anything, other than person deserving respect. And here, in particular, there can be no idiots in this forum - not physically possible. We passed idiocy when we decided to just join and read, in my opinion. We passed idiocy when we said "in my opinion" in a way that others could judge for themselves.

So when anyone actually thinks some other poster is an idiot and says it, we reveal more about ourself than the other poster. We reveal a limit we won't go to, won't stand that line of argument, don't see the point in it, don't understand, or simply belittle that person's station and moment in the quest, and lash out at the other person for wasting our time. So ad hominem negativity only destroys the baseline respect, and reveals your own limitations.

Unless there is some point to it that is actually focused on the content. Saying some idea is idiotic, that shoves meaning and truth in our faces. I say have at it, and let that personality shine! Further, once we truly get to know the respect is there, once we have a history showing respect, then we can let the harsh ad hominem attacks fly to emphasize our points, like calling your brother an idiot because he is doing something you think is stupid. He knows you love him and respect him, and that baseline deep knowledge is both why the betrayal that comes with being called a total idiot by your own brother who knows you, is funny, and why your brother can decide to either blow it off and say "how would you know, you moron" or rethink how stupid he's being. It doesn't mean you actually think your brother is just an idiot.

Lastly, notice I didn't say what I think of any one in particular. That's because I'm too new and would have to do some research to recall who said what, and what I think it tells me about that person. So I'm forgetful and lazy, and still manage to blather on way too long. Probably annoys a bunch of you.

I think we truly are incapable of judging another whole person as anything, other than person deserving respect. — Fire Ologist

Not everyone deserves respect, besides the basic acknowledgement of being human. The rest is earned. And some people really are idiots. Judging from their behavior, not seeing into their souls.

I’d argue it’s very important to discriminate between good and bad ideas and good and bad behavior. Making no judgment whatsoever is silly. You want to do that, become a monk.

Making no judgment whatsoever is silly. — Mikie

It's also dangerous.