I’m right and you’re wrong

990: 

If I think I’m right it doesn’t bestow magical powers on my arguments.  Just because I’m fearless with my words, it doesn’t make everything I say impressive; it’s more likely to be irritating.  Perhaps I like to see myself as radical and outspoken, as brave and admirable.  But it’s likely, anyway, that what I’m saying will be disagreed with by others, if only for them to save face.  And one more thing, when I try to make people feel ashamed they remember that and avoid me in future.  How they see it, is that I’m boasting about my own achievements, and that will cloud everything else with the result that they won’t be picking up the information I’m trying to get across.

           

I might enjoy chatting about my favourite subject but I run the risk of my being regarded as a bore, especially when I show no interest in what you might want to say.  As soon as I start ‘going-on’ about eating meat or animal cruelty, you might see it as one big yawn.  And it’s taken personally, as if I’m being purposely offensive.  They’ll want me to stop, and if I don’t stop there’s likely to be a flare-up.  So, a light hearted chat between two people with opposing views may be, on any other subject than this, stimulating.  On any other subject we can agree to disagree, but not with this subject.  This is between two entirely different approaches, the one seemingly selfish, the other seemingly unselfish.  Disagreeing on this matter of indulgence versus self-denial can soon enough turn into a full blown fight.