September 4, 2008
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Reasons I don’t want to read conservative/religious posts (or have them recommended to me):
1) I’m not a conservative, and I don’t forsee myself changing.
2) I don’t expect them to read my liberal posts since I don’t forsee them changing either.
3) Much of my family is conservative/religious. Any argument that could be made to me (to prove that somehow I am incorrect) has already been brought to my attention. Thank you.
4) I blog to record my life and to “suck out the marrow of it” as Thoreau says. Because of that, I don’t read others’ blogs with the intend to become angry. I don’t want to be an angry blogger. (This is a big reason I detest when other bloggers recommend entries to me that end up being… yea… conservative).
5) I TEACH how to write arguments; I really don’t want to have parts of my teaching life leak over into my blogosphere. That’s not for me, maybe it’s for others.
Comments (11)
This is totally off topic, but how come you never assigned *bad essays* to us? Because I totally expect you to teach your college class much like the way you taught your high school class, lol!
For real though… you always did have creative assignments. I actually ran across some of my old *bell ringers* the other day. Yeah, I’m a packrat. Now I WISH I had actually answered most of them. There were some seriously great questions asked back then.
A few of my friends are conservatives. These also happen to be the self-righteous ones who will seek to convert you. Thankfully, I’m good at staying calm and just nodding my head.
@heyitzlong - I was told the other day that it was liberals who force their opinions on others, but in every gathering I’ve been it, it was the very out-spoken conservatives who were chewing me out. Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective…
I just like to listen to what they have to say (arguing against it in my head)… I do just try to keep myself to myself. I can’t change their minds, so yea.
Politics isn’t black and white… those who try to make me believe that make me wanna freak out. There is A LOT of gray area.
@apennieformythoughts - I’ve evolved, dear Pennie.
I did have great ideas that I used when teaching high school (whether the administration appreciated them or not); I still use some of those methods and theories now.
I was just telling my new officemate how I still keep in touch with my high school students; how I remember their names better than the names of the college students I’ve had.
See, I’m opposite. I’d rather read posts that I disagree with, and by doing so I learn something I didn’t know before. If I disagree with them, I begin to understand in greater detail as to why I disagree, and if I am swayed, then I gain a new perspective. I am not easily swayed…but It has been known to happen in the past.
Great blog by the way.
I’ve always considered you one of the best teachers we had. You actually breathed LIFE into your students, and gave us something fun.
On to the topic at hand, though. I’m an in-betweener. There are some things that I’m conservative on, but I’m more liberal on social issues. In the end, I try not to argue with too many people over it. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most educated in that field. And like you said, you’re not going to change their minds, and the issue is hardly ever black and white.
@Evowookiee - Good for you; I guess I haven’t read a lot of blogs that swayed me even a little… or gave me new info.
I typically feel my blood pressure sky-rocket and I think, “This is not worth it.”
@apennieformythoughts - Thanks, Pennie. I hope I still inspire enthusiasm… enthusiasm to try writing to those open enough to give it a whirl (if they haven’t already)… college students either “let me & my ideas in” = “maybe she’s write; maybe I can write something cool” OR I get the “English sucks” mentality and by age 18+, that’s hard to change.
“Turning the frowns upside down since 1999.” That should be my motto…
@teacher47 - I’ve had that happen as well. I had to learn to walk away from it all. Now I’m more even tempered, and I’m able to divorce my words from my identity. When people attack my views, they are attacking my views…not me. When they DO attack me, I just let it happen because it reveals their idiocy.
@Evowookiee - I simply don’t think it’s as easy as “divorcing” one’s self from his/her views as you say. My views ARE me… and I detest when people say, “Don’t take it so personally.” If I’ve thought of an idea long enough to defend it, then it’s a personal piece of my intellect. At least, that’s my opinion.
My sister & I have had conversations about people who don’t get passionate about their ideas/thoughts (not saying you don’t), but we like to get riled up now and then… I would just rather have those discussions f2f, not on a blog… for someone who teaches writing, I think I argue better verbally which is quite backwards. Sorta.
I am a horrible writer. I know that. grammatically, spelling….the overuse of punctuation. horrible. I’m sure reading my blog has caused you to cringe a time or two.