maximilln's Journal: Friends, fans, foes, freaks...

Nothing puzzles me more than being Foed by a user that I've never discussed anything with. It'd be like driving down the road and having some unknown person flip you the bird. I'm left thinking,"okay? what's this all about?" I'm just as puzzled by a user that Foes me after a single disagreement on one topic list. I don't see disagreements as reasons to Foe people.

Disagreements are opportunities to stand in the other person's shoes and attempt to see things from their point of view. Most often when I stand in someone else's shoes I find their shoes pretty small, sheltered, and narrow-minded. Their shoes may be comfortable but, by wearing such small and comfortable shoes, they tend to act as if there is no possible way that there could be anything wrong with the world. I wear much larger and much less comfortable shoes but, by doing so, I tend to empathize with the problems that are faced in the real world.

Perhaps I chastise naivete too often. Perhaps people see me as mean or unfeeling. This is not true. If the world were perfect then there would be no disagreements. By simple virtue of being alive it is the DUTY of every responsible human being to actively empathize with others in less priveleged and less comfortable positions.

So the next time you feel like adding me to your Foes list perhaps you need to take a deep breath and look to yourself. Are you really doing everything you can to make the world a better place or are you an opportunist that derives amusement from antagonizing people who didn't get the same silver spoon helping that you did?