What Have You Learned at RF?

[Unveiled Artist]

That's the great thing about this place.
If one has low self esteem, one can feel
like a genius scholar supermodel here.

Yep. Long as you have a dictionary by your side and say Wilst every now and again, everyone would be intelligent. R.F. B.S. Degree

 

[Jollybear]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

Ive learned that for whatever reason or other, most people when they debate do not want to go very deep. Although there are some.

For some its state there views and there reasons, answer a few breif questions and nothing more. If you press it further, nope, no more.

For others, they will continue, but, it will not be on the subject anymore, it will be on YOU.

Then theres the others, they go as deep as the subject can possibly go. This is when you start truely learning.

 

[Marcion]

Some things I learnt so far:

* Not all religious Americans are bible-thumping evangelical Christians (that or most of them avoid this forum)
* Not all born-again Hindus are ISKCON-ites
* Abrahamic faiths are even more like each other than I realised before

 

[Trailblazer]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

I learned that there are a lot of religions besides Christianity, and some of their really cool beliefs.
I learned that there are some very cool atheists too.

Keep in mind, I was kind of living in a cave on the other forums I had been posting on.

 

[Eddi]

RF helped me overcome my Messiah complex and I learnt I am not Jesus Christ reincarnated

I am much happier now I don't believe I'm The Messiah

Thanks, RF

It's also helped me improve and develop my own ideas and faith

 

[Duke_Leto]

That's the great thing about this place.
If one has low self esteem, one can feel
like a genius scholar supermodel here.

You know, often I’ll just see someone on these forums make some thread or post which looks to me like a jumble of meaninglessly assorted words, and I’ll just kinda scroll past, then someone else, seemingly able to understand this apparent gibberish, will reply in a less understandable format than the first, and the two will go on, apparently having a conversation. It makes me feel like I’m going crazy whenever I see this.

So, am I too smart or simply too dumb to follow these kinds of exchanges?

 

[Erebus]

That the definitions of words like god, deity, spiritual and worship are protean rather than rigid.

That the single most important thing in discussion or debate is to ensure that you're all talking about the same thing.

That everybody is prone to irrationality from time to time.

That if you're shown to be wrong, the best thing to do is accept it and learn from it.

That evolution is even more complicated than I'd originally assumed. After coming upon discussions/debates on it with no more than a high school level of understanding, I can safely say that the sheer scale of it is wonderfully mind-boggling!

 

[exchemist]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

No, I do not feel I've "grown as a person". If anything I may have shrunk slightly.

But I have learnt more about evolutionary biology, including some very interesting things about mechanisms for genetic change other than straight, so-called "random"mutations.

As far as religions go, I have learned more about Jehovah's Witnesses, as a result of which they have sunk a long way in my estimation.

 

[Vee]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

That we have a lot more in common than we think.

 

[Marcion]

You know, often I’ll just see someone on these forums make some thread or post which looks to me like a jumble of meaninglessly assorted words, and I’ll just kinda scroll past, then someone else, seemingly able to understand this apparent gibberish, will reply in a less understandable format than the first, and the two will go on, apparently having a conversation. It makes me feel like I’m going crazy whenever I see this.

So, am I too smart or simply too dumb to follow these kinds of exchanges?

It's pitty there is no frubal to express that experience, I also get the same here and there.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

• Debating doesn't change anyone's mind but it is very fun.
• Most religious people are, wittingly or not, heretics.
• That most adults (30+) aren't at the educational level I expected them to be.
• My views towards Islam have softened.
• Talking to Americans about politics is hard, because our political cultures are so different.
• That my political views are minority and the only other person I know who shares my place on the Political Compass is Tumah.
• I am no longer a National Socialist.
• I am no longer a Christian.

I wish I could say I've learned that a dogmatically closed mind is way more formidable to break into than Fort Knox.

But no, I knew that already...

These.

Also, a couple of years ago, I was conviced to yield a tiny level of respect to US gun owners. Not enough to abuse the constitution like the NRA “leadership” wants us to, but a little bit.

That’s about it. Plus, its worth mentioning again as @Rival said, it’s fun.

 

[David T]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

Nothing.... Its only increased my bias towrds nature and thats been driven by science, secular, and religious nonsense. They seem to be attracted to each other!

Sort of like a joel osteen, larry krauss Discuss women debate, generally speaking, ewwwwww.

although occasionally the topics turn seriously humorous. Those i like!!!

 

[Revoltingest]

Yep. Long as you have a dictionary by your side and say Wilst every now and again, everyone would be intelligent. R.F. B.S. Degree

The great thing is that with Wikipedia, one can feel more intelligent than anyone else.
And besides, reasoning ability isn't helped by the internet, so we can all see each
other's flaws on full display. One may find that most embiggening.

Trivia....
The Simpsons writers got the idea for this bit while watching @Nous
enjoying his feeling of superiority over us less educated bumpkins.

 

[Revoltingest]

You know, often I’ll just see someone on these forums make some thread or post which looks to me like a jumble of meaninglessly assorted words, and I’ll just kinda scroll past, then someone else, seemingly able to understand this apparent gibberish, will reply in a less understandable format than the first, and the two will go on, apparently having a conversation. It makes me feel like I’m going crazy whenever I see this.

I've seen such exchanges too.
I wonder.....just why are they going on & on about something so impenetrable, arcane & full of bickeritude?

So, am I too smart or simply too dumb to follow these kinds of exchanges?

You're too smart.
And I'm too distracted by having to empty my drool cup so often.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

I can't say I've learned anything here. Nobody's told me anything about their religion that I hadn't learned from all the books on my shelves. I've observed that a lot of people are irrational, but I've known that for years.

 

[YmirGF]

Because I am so small, cute and fast, I have developed this skill of getting through the front door as soon as @ADigitalArtist opens them in the morning. She never sees me because I am super quiet. Then I hop up onto the sideboard and settle into a nice cup of coffee (I bring my own cup, attached to my belt) and tuck into a delicious cranberry lemon muffin. (I so like to nibble all the muffins while they are warm!)

 

[Enoch07]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

Wouldn't say I learned it here on RF exclusively, but RF definitely played a role.

What I've learned is at the end of the day.

None of this bullp00p matters.

Regardless of what religion, polical alliances, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, education, etc, or lack there of!

At the end of the day we are all the same and basically want the same thing, we just disagree on how to get there.

 

[Revoltingest]

Because I am so small, cute and fast, I have developed this skill of getting through the front door as soon as @ADigitalArtist opens them in the morning. She never sees me because I am super quiet. Then I hop up onto the sideboard and settle into a nice cup of coffee (I bring my own cup, attached to my belt) and tuck into a delicious cranberry lemon muffin. (I so like to nibble all the muffins while they are warm!)

You're going to get in trouble for what you do in her shoe.

 

[YmirGF]

You're going to get in trouble for what you do in her shoe.

You said you weren't ever going to bring that up!

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Assuming you joined RF to learn something rather than to proselytize your beliefs, what have you taken away from RF since you joined? What, if anything (aside from @Sunstone's insufferable dissertations about logical fallacies, from @SalixIncendium's awesome fashion sense, and @Rival's apparent apathy toward either) have you learned in your time here?

Do you feel you've grown as a person since you've been here in listening to the worldviews of others? How so?

Personally I think we all grow as a person if that is what we are trying to do, so RF will aid in that growth.

Well.....as to what I have learned, that it is important to say 'In my Opinion'.

I have also picked up many interesting things I had not known, like Hindus are very broad in belief.

In my opinion...

Regards Tony