Does the study hinder or help your martial arts?

[K-man]

I tend to not contribute to the study. I didn't always. the problem was, I found some people so insulting in their righteousness that I actually could not see past it and be willing to engage in other discussions with them. It's not a matter of simply having differences of opinions. It was a matter of being truly insulting, and pompous and self-righteous in the process. I feel like the study is where people often let their true colors show. Because of this, there are a couple of people for whom I simply do not have any respect and with whom I will not engage in any discussion whatsoever. And it's too bad, because prior to that, we had engaged in reasonable discussions about martial arts issues.

It does leave a bad taste in the mouth, and it's caused me to consider taking an extended and possibly permanent vacation from martial talk. I've taken short breaks in the past and that's helped, but sometimes I feel like the study sort of poisons the site and it can leak into other areas.

I agree with your sentiments. I have found that some members try to keep an interesting discussion bubbling but others just try to hijack the thread and beat others into submission. I would love to explore more complex issues within the martial arts but it becomes very difficult when others try to impose their beliefs rather than engage in a discussion. I have noticed this same frustration arising in other member's posts as well.

As to the original question: "Does the study hinder or help your martial arts?" No. it doesn't hinder, but some members attitudes don't help! Maybe we should be more accepting of the fact that we don't all share the same beliefs and there is no monopoly on 'right'.
:asian:

 

[Bruno@MT]

It doesn't affect my training in any way. I am not skipping practise to be here, and I am not skipping my own training time to be here.
I stay away from the threads I don't like or if I know that participating will frustrate me. Life is too short. I don't feel the need to convert others or convince them that I am right.

As for this place being here (the study): Trust me, you want to have it. It's a safety valve. I am supermod in another forum, and we have a similar place which is called 'The Conversation' which basically covers everything that is not related to our main purpose.
Without such a place, you get threads and off topic banter spilling over in other forums. It's far better to keep that contained to 1 place where people can easily ignore it if they want to.

 

[Carol]

...the FMA guys threaten to kill you, and so on.

Bob, they were training blades. Honest. :uhyeah:

 

[MJS]

Most of the time I log on I see the new threads and alot of it is in the Study or its subcatagory. I see debates, heated exchanges and personal shots. It makes me so sick sometimes I don't even want to be on this site.

Does the study help you in your martial arts or life?

Does it hinder your training or cause conflict in your life?

I usually only post in this area when its a subject that interests me. Otherwise, I just observe. Regarding the atmosphere of this area....yup, it gets hot and rude at times. Some people can debate without the sidetracking of the personal shots, others can't.

Regarding your last 2 questions, I'd say no to both. Like I said, if its a thread that I like, I'll post, otherwise, I just watch from the sidelines.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I am working on a simple way to Opt-Out of the Study, but so far no luck.

If anyone wants to drop the study from what they see, let me know and I'll hard code you out.

 

[Steve]

It doesn't affect my training, but I will say that I tend to take frequent breaks from the Study.

 

[Archangel M]

I cant decide which is odder.

That people on a martial arts board are fretting about "fighting"...

Or that people get so emotionally invested in internet discussions that it effects their well being and mental state.

If the heats too much.....

 

[Xue Sheng]

Does the study help you in your martial arts or life?

No

Does it hinder your training or cause conflict in your life?

On ocassion it use to but I tend to stay out of it these days. So the answer is now also no.

 

[Sukerkin]

I cant decide which is odder.

That people on a martial arts board are fretting about "fighting"...

Or that people get so emotionally invested in internet discussions that it effects their well being and mental state.

If the heats too much.....

I think it's more that people, including me, are offended that some are not capable of carrying an arguement in a ten-gallon hat without descending into the realms of the sort of behaviour we shouldn't tolerate in ten year olds, let alone adults.

For the first year it's not too bad. The next year it gets a tad irksome. After that you go into a bit of a decline.

 

[Archangel M]

True. But it doesnt seem to keep people from participating..no matter how offended they get. What does that say about human nature?

 

[Flying Crane]

I think it's more that people, including me, are offended that some are not capable of carrying an arguement in a ten-gallon hat without descending into the realms of the sort of behaviour we shouldn't tolerate in ten year olds, let alone adults.

For the first year it's not too bad. The next year it gets a tad irksome. After that you go into a bit of a decline.

Once people show you their mean side, or their petty side, or their pushy side, or their arrogant side, or their disrespectful side over and over and over and over, you start to realize that that is who that person really is deep down inside. It gets a bit hard to take them seriously or have any respect for them in any of the other venues. You suddenly realize that their opinion means nothing to you and there is no point in engaging in any discussion with them. Kind of kills the desire to contribute to the site in other ways.

On the other hand, I guess it's good to give everyone a venue in which to show that side of themselves. That way everyone can see it and know who's who.

 

[Archangel M]

I dont know if this venue...taken in isolation, minus any other personal knowledge of a person is an accurate display of anybody's true character.

And I always try to keep in mind that my fundamentalism of others character can probably just as easily be turned around on myself.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I'm a frequent poster in The Study since I have a great interest in political affairs and current events. While it becomes contentious at times, I suspect it keeps a lot of heat away from other forums.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I am working on a simple way to Opt-Out of the Study, but so far no luck.

If anyone wants to drop the study from what they see, let me know and I'll hard code you out.

???

How about...


<drums>


Not visiting this forum?


<bada-bing>

 

[shesulsa]

I think it's more that people, including me, are offended that some are not capable of carrying an arguement in a ten-gallon hat without descending into the realms of the sort of behaviour we shouldn't tolerate in ten year olds, let alone adults.

For the first year it's not too bad. The next year it gets a tad irksome. After that you go into a bit of a decline.

I have to say, after having been on staff for about four years and responsible for monitoring the online behavior of adults ( :barf: ) that I echo this sentiment.

It's downright exciting at first, challenging after that and then ... certain particular circumstances notwithstanding, you can only kick a dog for so long.

I can't say the Study hinders my training as some other real life situations have occurred for me at the same time ... but after four years, it becomes hard to continue to not get paid for spanking adults who should damn well know better.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have to say, after having been on staff for about four years and responsible for monitoring the online behavior of adults ( :barf: ) that I echo this sentiment.

It's downright exciting at first, challenging after that and then ... certain particular circumstances notwithstanding, you can only kick a dog for so long.

I can't say the Study hinders my training as some other real life situations have occurred for me at the same time ... but after four years, it becomes hard to continue to not get paid for spanking adults who should damn well know better.

Try working security for a few years. I'm guessing after that you will no longer say anything about not getting paid for dealing with adults because they can't pay you enough

 

[Flying Crane]

I dont know if this venue...taken in isolation, minus any other personal knowledge of a person is an accurate display of anybody's true character.

You may be right, but I can only formulate my opinions with the information provided. If this is the side they show most often here, that is what I have to use to make my judgement of their character.

You only get one chance to make a first impression...

 

[Carol]

Does the study help me in my martial arts or life?

Yes, and I'll explain. When I moved to my new apartment, I didn't have cable TV installed right away. I still don't have it. I don't really miss it that much, I prefer to be engaged by interactive activities, be they martial arts, video games...or posting on a forum. I find that posting in The Study can be a challenge: can I formulate my thoughts on a controversial matter without losing my temper or making a lot of enemies. Am I succeeding? I don't know.

Does it hinder your training or cause conflict in your life? No it doesn't hinder my training and no it doesn't cause conflict. While I feel very fortunate that some folks here have become my real-life friends, it is not the most important thing in my life. As much as I do enjoy the internet, it does not take priority over real life.

 

[Flying Crane]

can I formulate my thoughts on a controversial matter without losing my temper or making a lot of enemies. Am I succeeding? I don't know.

I think most of us could benefit if we considered this when posting in the Study.

 

[Jenna]

I think The Study is a simple mirror on real life.

In real life there are important issues that merit discussion and there are also many hours wasted in discussing the most trifling pettiness.

In real life we can debate facts as though they were not facts and cite hypotheses as though they were.

In real life many of the most considered intellects seek no participation in extraneous debate, and there are also folk who have intelligence that they feel must be proven for it to be valid.

In real life there are folk possessed of concerned dispositions and genuine expertise who are prepared to discuss issues with those who are apparently less experienced or less well versed. Unfortunately there are just as many sanctimonious, pompous and patronising folk with time only for berating, belittling and condescending.

I cannot take myself out of real life as much as I sometimes wish it. I can however stay away from The Study if I see that I can neither contribute nor gain from it.

Over the last few years I have gained a lot from MT and have encountered some of the cleverest, most genuine and sincere martial artists here. I would not want to lose The Study because I would worry that its winding down would take with it some of those folk that I have come to like so much

And that is my opinion and it is 100% proven factual, anotated in Hansard, pressure tested on the street, accurate to one picometre, Pantone colour matched and whiter than white even at thirty degrees...

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna