Do you ever read facts/perspectives on the DU that allow you to dominate conversations in real life?

[Fumesucker]

It happens for me all the time, someone will say something really silly/stupid/uninformed, usually straight from the M$M, and I'll have the perfect line already written or found for me by a DUer and very often tuned and tempered by other DUers.

I've got quite a few people convinced I'm a good bit smarter than I actually am due to DU.

Thank you everyone whose words and ideas I borrow in order to try to make a slightly better world for us all. I really try to make help the people I talk to think about things from a little different perspective and I try to find words that talk to the ideas and facts rather than the person, the DU has been very helpful in all that.

So many things are a matter of perspective and that's one thing DU has a lot of, much of it rubs off on me. I've changed my mind about a lot of things since I've been on the DU although you probably wouldn't know it from my normal humble demeanor.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say I appreciate all of you, even and perhaps especially those I often disagree with, you make me think and I think that's a good think thing.

[Triana]

1. Yes! n/t

[MindPilot]

2. I go to work in the morning knowing the RW talking points of the day

Someone starts telling me some BS they got from Faux last night, I can refute it.

I have also learned useful tools like how to quickly and consistently explain the difference between climate and weather, what really happened to the woman who spilled her coffee, and demonstrate that the media is in not liberal.

[Coyotl]

3. I guess I've never really thought about conversation in that way.

[fadedrose]

4. Yes, just yesterday

Was at the doctor's and talked to young guy (in his 50's) and we discussed the outlawing of trans fats and the resumption of lard, butter, and severala types of oil to take their place. (just like Atkins)

Several things in the Atkins thread refreshed my memory and came in handy.

[Scuba]

5. Yep, thanks to DU typically have the latest vetted information on any political topic ....

... know what is spin and what is fact, and have already learned how to counter the spin!

It's why I have a star next to my name.

[HappyMe]

6. I'm not a dominate the conversation kind of person.

I have read things here that let me see an issue from another angle. I have used those ideas in conversations.

Thanks DU, for the info and ideas.

[Marrah_G]

7. Dominate a conversation?

I'm not even sure what that means.

[Fumesucker]

13. My answer..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024063031#post11

[LuvNewcastle]

8. I always like to read your opinions, too. It's good to find out what people

on the other planets are thinking and look at things from their perspectives from different solar systems. Where else but DU would I be able to get that?

[Fumesucker]

12. It ain't easy being green

[BelgianMadCow]

9. "especially those I often disagree with" - I second that

I of course "hate" people that disagree with me, but it's the (more or less, grin) DU habit of oppositional, fact-based, possibly sourced debate that I appreciate. And such debate doesn't exist without differing positions.

So a big :cheer: to my (which coincide largely with your, I noticed) detractors.

Great thread, Fumesucker

[pipi_k]

10. Like a couple

of others here, I'm not getting the whole "dominate a conversation" thing.

What does that mean, exactly?

Lecturing one other person we're talking at (not to, and not with...AT)?

And for what purpose? To look smarter than him/her?

To change that person's mind?

I'm not sure trying to prove someone else is wrong is going to change that person's mind. In fact, it could have the opposite effect...it could cause that person to dig his heels in even harder and hold on even more to his opinion.

And I speak from personal experience on that one after being lectured to by uber-religious friends who tried to change my Agnostic mind on the subject of God and religion. The near-fanaticism...the attitude of "this is right and everything else is wrong" turned me off. Totally and completely. Now I lean more toward Atheism. My friends' efforts were wasted.

Now I'll tell how my opinions on some things were changed. Not by people talking AT me, but by reading conversations between others here...the pros and cons...the black and white... When I see or hear others discussing an issue, I get both sides, and sometimes my mind gets changed by what I see or hear.

In any event, I'm not the kind who wants to dominate any conversation. In fact, I don't even mind if someone disagrees with me if, in the end, that person can acknowledge that my point might be just as valid as theirs is.

[Fumesucker]

11. Perhaps I phrased that less than perfectly

I'm basically a lone liberal living in a red state surrounded by wingnuts, the only real defense against them conversationally when they inevitably bring up politics is a strong offense. The ones who know me don't use "funny" phrases for Obama, like Obummer, any more at least within my hearing. I also hear less and less of the latest Sean Limbaugh talking points since I'm often able to make the person saying them see how ridiculous they actually are.

It all depends on your personal situation, if you are mostly among like minded people it must be nice to not be constantly bombarded with right wing talking points in every conversation, not all of us are so lucky.

For instance I was in the thrift store of all places just the other day talking to the manager I know casually, he mentioned that donations are way down and I asked him what he attributed that to. His answer was "The economy, Obama", I then gently pointed out that the Republicans have voted down every proposal that they could which might help the economy recover, it only took a couple of minutes before he was agreeing with me that the Republicans are more to blame than the POTUS.

[pipi_k]

16. Again...

I just don't see the point of mentioning anything to someone who isn't going to change his mind.

When you're a lone liberal in a red state, sometimes the best response is no response at all.

But then, I guess that all depends on whom you are talking to. If it's someone with a fairly open mind, go for it.

But when you're surrounded by people who seem to be entrenched in their own ignorance, you are wasting your time and energy.

[Fumesucker]

17. Light a candle or curse the darkness?

I prefer the candle myself.

I may not convince a lot of them but if I can get them to stay off politics in my hearing then that's good enough for me.

Can't even have a conversation about the weather without it becoming political any more.

[FatBuddy]

14. it depends

is the conversational transaction worth expending the energy to dominate it?

[Yo_Mama]

15. I learn a lot from DU

But I don't generally want to dominate discussions, unless it comes down to life or death stuff, like people having food to eat or medical care.

One thing I have noticed is that people who say they are conservatives or liberals or libertarians or whatever flavor really don't differ as much as one would think from reading DU.

An example:
People who claim to be conservative with whom I have discussed politics are generally in favor of food stamps, Medicare, SS, and some form of general access to health care. They may have concerns about sustainability, but over the last few years, it seems like all political wings tend to be very worried about the declining levels of welfare in our society.

There is just no support for cutting Medicare or SS at all in the general population, so why does this keep coming up in DC?