I think the Principle of Charity is the most important starting point. I always try to make the most sense out of what someone else is saying, and then if I disagree with it, to put myself in their place and highlight the problems that I would run into thinking that way, and how I would find myself compelled to change my mind in response to those problems.

Sincerity is pretty important to this matter.

When experiencing undiplomatic impulses, walk slowly away from computer. Lock door to computer room. Throw key out nearest window. Spend hours searching for key. Return with renewed sense of etiquette.

I have a special place in my heart for polemics and the argumentative style, a la Swift or Voltaire. I also love argument, rhetoric and disputation for its own sake. I feel the best insights fall in the sparks of debate. So I don’t mind heated exchanges, but I’m sure to treat others in kind.

Offline, however, I’m a gentleman. I suspect if we all sat around a pub table and talked over a pint we’d be good friends.

他にあり得

I don't know what has happened in the forums lately. — armonie

There's a conscious umph towards more high-quality and structured content. The hope is that trolling, animosity, and such babble gets shoved aside, and more attention is shifted towards our new Protestant work ethic.

I have a special place in my heart for polemics and the argumentative style, a la Swift or Voltaire. I also love argument, rhetoric and disputation for its own sake. I feel the best insights fall in the sparks of debate. So I don’t mind heated exchanges, but I’m sure to treat others in kind. — NOS4A2

Great, so the followup question, is do you believe the stuff you post in the Trump thread, or just get a kick outta seeing people argue with you?

Offline, however, I’m a gentleman. I suspect if we all sat around a pub table and talked over a pint we’d be good friends. — NOS4A2

I'm not quite sure if anyone is interested in meeting you. But, who knows, maybe?

There's a conscious umph towards more high-quality and structured content. The hope is that trolling, animosity, and such babble gets shoved aside, and more attention is shifted towards our new Protestant work ethic. — Wallows

I have noticed this as of late although I'm curious as to why you describe it as Protestant? I mean, speaking personally I'm a baptised Salvationist and both my Grandparents on my fathers side are Majors and my mother and father worked in Homeless Hostels for the Salvation Army too so for me this probably true but to a lesser extent than my family as I diverged from my families religion at an early age because of social difficulties with the other Sunday School Children at the Army hall. So while the protestant work ethic is true of me, I'm interested to hear why you think the same shift is happening collectively on the forum?

@Pfhorrest The principle of Charity I think is one of the most helpful concepts you've shared with me and others here. I simply love it, It's completely my style.

My own diplomatic style tends to follow the concept of mirroring. I can explain why this became almost pathological at one point for me until philosophy steered me clear.

Due to being autistic and being diagnosed with Aspergers at 23 which is considered a slightly late diagmosis; I recognised a need for me to admit my own social shortcomings and focus on learning how to engage with people differently as mirroring is an extremely emotionally taxing and stressful way to go about life.

I can explain the why because of my formative years and adult friendships. I watched and read a lot of sci fi; Star Trek, Stargate, Star Wars and my favourite of them all and potentially the most underrated science fiction franchise of all time... FarScape! I've actually watched Stargate a lot more than FarScape as the former was the family watch whereas only me and my Dad spent time watching FarScape together consistently.

Most of my role models were fictional and the ones I adored were the diplomats from these franchises as well as the other styles of diplomacy by the other roles of the core cast and others. The best diplomats were portrayed as the ones who understood their counterparts in dialogues own styles of diplomacy and mirrored them. StarFleet from Star Trek really went deep into this with Next Gen, DS9 and Voyager although my emotional centre really tries to capture the duality of Spock while avoiding Trying to think like Data.

One of my closest friends description of his Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, was to liken him to a mirror reflecting everyone back at themselves and it was a theme to be described thusly for many prophets. Prophet Joseph is my favourite though, his story is so tragically beautiful and influential to me in most of its forms but my friend shared my now favourite version which is Islam's. Same with their version of the first miracle performed by christ which was to speak as a new born child in diplomatic defense of his mother Mary who was probably going to be stoned to death for adultery.

I had to come at learning more advanced social skills in a very technical and curated manner with a self guided curriculum as an adult. Like everyone, as I grew up without direct meta lessons and learning in socialising I grew up with a mixed bag. However this isn't some thing unique to autistic people in my opinion.

So yeah, Mirroring I'd say is more of a defense mechanism of the socially inept/ignorant however if used fluidly and at the right time it can be a powerful tool for diplomacy so long as you don't mistake it for being the only one. Which brings me to Bruce Lee's Philosophy of water;

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

which to me says that the only thing one should be rigid in, is valuing fluidity and diversity within ones self.

As within, so without.

Anyway, everyone I will contribute and respond to more of the comments here after the weekend. Family time.

Have a good weekend all!

I have noticed this as of late although I'm curious as to why you describe it as Protestant? I mean, speaking personally I'm a baptised Salvationist and both my Grandparents on my fathers side are Majors and my mother and father worked in Homeless Hostels for the Salvation Army too so for me this probably true but to a lesser extent than my family as I diverged from my families religion at an early age because of social difficulties with the other Sunday School Children at the Army hall. So while the protestant work ethic is true of me, I'm interested to hear why you think the same shift is happening collectively on the forum? — Mark Dennis

Well, it was a bit of a joke as the majority of the thread posters here are atheistic or agnostic. But, it seems like it wouldn't hurt anyone if we adopted a Protestant work ethic in my mind?

In regards to the why... It seems to me that Protestantism, and its more serious offshoot being Calvinism are denominations of Christianity that are responses to Weber's appeal to enlightened self-interest and with that a response to capitalism.

Another way to phrase the question, would be a philosophical bite into why isn't communism a popular socio-political orientation among Christians, given that what Jesus preached falls in line in the least with a socialist attitude towards others?

See that this thread got moved to The Lounge.

But, I'm serious about the last bit in my previous post... Being, why isn't Christianity more left-leaning than having being adopted by the right, so adamantly?

Sorry swallows I forgot to respond here. Personally I agree that Christianity should be more left leaning than it currently is, or some practices of it anyway if they all truly embodied the spirit of Christ. However where you and I disagree is probably; How far to the left? I feel that Christianity demands adaptive centrism which does fall into line with your claim as I also feel what is currently required of an adaptive centrism is some form of soft socialism in the centrist rhetoric.

For example; the tech industry should be much more conservative and soft capitalism through effective legislation involving setting the pricing rights into the hands of the people who are securing the resources and the countries the resources come from. I'd be happy to only need to buy a device as often as I'd need to buy a well maintained car and maybe even a house so long as I can pay for routine maintenance and software upgrades and that the people from the Congo and other places aren't dying to get the device into my hands.

Since this is now in the lounge and the terms of this post are pretty broad; as the OP I recommend to the moderators that they be lenient within this thread of other rules of the forum. So long as no flaming occurs I feel this thread should be a safe space for freedom of speech.

Wallows, do you feel that wealth and industry work are also contributing factors to how they politically identify? If so, how do they compare with the influence of individual spirituality?