How Have You Changed As A CFC User?

[Ziggy Stardust]

I used to have more of an idea I was actually debating stuff with people here. As it turns out I have learned to recognise the 'tricks' people pull in a debate. When that's clear it becomes rather frustrating to have yet another potentially interesting subject go down the fallacy drain.

Lately, I am more looking forward to witty remarks people make here than an actual exchange of ideas which is unlikely to happen.

 

[Ajidica]

I actually tend to find the opposite, that I'm forced to seriously revise my views on a regular basis. Not always so anybody else would notice, granted, so I don't know if that really implies much change in terms of Traitorfish-as-CFC poster, but you get what I mean.

No matter what happens, you will always be known as our Pedantic Communist.

As for me, I discovered how to properly pull off real-life trolling in discussions when I honestly don't care about the outcome.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I used to be way more tolerant of religious freedoms, but as I got older I've found more and more about the culture that I find irritating. As well, I started as neuroscience fanboi, but have since become reasonably expert at the topic.

I am still tolerant of their religious freedom, but I used to be a lot more critical of people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens than I am now. I have become convinced it is time that atheists and agnostics start expressing their views far more publicly so that children in particular understand there is an alternative to their usual indoctrination in this country.

This forum and others have also made me change my opinions about spanking. I used to be an advocate because I thought that without it children were missing crucial discipline which led to incidents like this. But I am now convinced that many people don't know reasonable limits while even advocating corporal punishment and striking children in the face. There are also numerous parents who have well-mannered children who have not had to resort to any acts of violence, even superficial ones.

 

[warpus]

I think my changes as a CFC user mirror my changes as a person.

I'm trying to think hard but I can't come up with any examples of this though.

 

[Crezth]

Since I started posting in OT, I've done a fair amount of introspection and thinking about my positions on political and philosophical questions. For all the jokes about OT being a wretched hive of scum and villainy, there is a fair population of good posters that make good points, and in most cases those points are definitely worth thinking about.

 

[amadeus]

Conservative, archconservative, libertarian, archlibertarian.

 

[shadowplay]

How Have You Changed As A CFC User?

I've learned to keep quiet and let others be the ones to make asses of themselves.

 

[Smellincoffee]

My opinions have changed rather dramatically in the timespan I've been at CFC, in large part because I joined as a teenager and had a lot of growing up to do. I still do, in fact; I'm sure in ten years I'll be looking back at my 2012 self and thinking him quite the naive kid. I've learned not to be overly certain, and I think -- I'd hope -- that's reflected in my posting voice. Back in 2003, 2004, I was quite the smug, self-righteous little bastard -- a young earth creationist, zealous Pentecostal and republican of a stripe that would now be classified as tea party. My worldview changed, but it took a while for me to lose the self-righteousness. Over the years I've adopted a less strident approach towards people.

I'm still not very active in OP discussions: I tend to sound in once and then disappear. Part of me thinks I should make more of a contribution, but I don't have the energy or inclination to get into antagonistic discussions.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

I have since posting here discovered the utter pointlessness of trying to get anyone here to change their mind about anything. I still try, though, because I find it fun to argue.

 

[El_Machinae]

Oh yeah, I'm still wildly immortalist, but after recently burying my grandparents, I'm actually worrying about getting society moving more quickly on "the cure for aging" before my parents are too old to benefit. They're my new target cohort.

Embryonic stem cells were pretty big when I first joined, but it's become more of a non-issue as work-arounds were laboriously developed

 

[kochman]

This site is good to get a wide variety of opinions on a variety of topics, and things can be learned.

I also appreciate Ziggy Stardust being witty... and I didn't previously!

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

I watch less porn and know how to embed YouTube videos

I say "disingenuous" a lot more in general conversation . It totally owns

 

[JollyRoger]

I was pretty immature, only in my early 30's when I joined, so I had a lot to learn. Obviously, 10 years from now, I will look back on the 2012 JR and wonder what the heck that naive kid was thinking.

 

[Lone Wolf]

My political options had changed. I have more antipathy towards certain leftist viewpoints, but overall, they shifted to the left. Instead of elaborating on them in a constructive and well-expressed manner, I prefer parodial sarcasm few people here actually get.

I also caught the "Post stories of your Civ4 games" virus.

 

[woody60707]

I would like to think my spelling and grammar have improved.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I was pretty immature, only in my early 30's when I joined, so I had a lot to learn. Obviously, 10 years from now, I will look back on the 2012 JR and wonder what the heck that naive kid was thinking.

I'm not sure if you're mocking me or honestly repeating the sentiment.

 

[emzie]

I've gained a lot of confidence from these forums. Younger me, augurey let's call him, would argue trying to change minds. Don't bother with that anymore. I argue to refine my mind. You all are my shooting range and my bullets are words.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I have changed a lot actually.

For one, I thought CFC would be all about "Civ", then I discovered OT and IOT.

I have become more right-wing and more libertarian. I have embraced economic views that Europeans would call "far-right" and I have no problem with legalizing marijuana.

Thank God I didn't come here in 2009 during my Elitist Leftist phase, who knows what monster I would have been.

 

[Dreadnought]

I've been exposed to a lot of opinions different than mine, and it's had a double effect. It's really taught me the foundations of "the other side;" not just the viewpoints alone, but the thoughts and rationale behind them. While the debates on the forum do lack a certain .... sustenance, mainly due to the veritable horde of individuals who have the same ideals, it still has been a learning experience, one that I value. Although I'd also argue it has, along with going to a deeply liberal college, firmly cemented my own beliefs as a philosophy moreso than a simple base I hold in a disagreement.

 

[JollyRoger]

I'm not sure if you're mocking me or honestly repeating the sentiment.

Not mocking you in particular, but the sentiment in general. But, to tell you the truth, I cringe when I read some of my posts from a decade (or a year or a month or a day) ago.