Should you respond?

[Kung Fu Wang]

A: What should I ...?
B: You may try ...?
C: That's a stupid idea. ...
B: ...

In the above online discussion, A asks a general question, B responds to A's question, C didn't like B's suggestion and uses an impolite word "stupid". B may have right to feel upset about it.

If you are B, will you respond to C's comment? If you do, why? If you don't, why? What's your opinion on this?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Also please notice that since B and C had never agree on anything in the past. There is a great chance that when B responds to C's comment, B and C could start another 20 pages of argument. If you are B and if you can sense that ahead of the time, Do you even want to start that argument?

 

[Touch Of Death]

Both B & A should ask why it is stupid?

 

[RTKDCMB]

Hasn't everyone had this conversation about a thousand times on this forum already?

 

[Jenna]

A: What should I ...?
B: You may try ...?
C: That's a stupid idea. ...
B: ...

In the above online discussion, A asks a general question, B responds to A's question, C didn't like B's suggestion and uses an impolite word "stupid". B may have right to feel upset about it.

If you are B, will you respond to C's comment? If you do, why? If you don't, why? What's your opinion on this?

You are implying there is absolutely no truth in comment C? Is it not all opinion? Why is opinion B valid and but opinion C is invalid?

 

[Touch Of Death]

You are implying there is absolutely no truth in comment C? Is it not all opinion? Why is opinion B valid and but opinion C is invalid?

Because C is being a total C.

 

[Xue Sheng]

You are implying there is absolutely no truth in comment C? Is it not all opinion? Why is opinion B valid and but opinion C is invalid?

Exactly

The question is to vague and it is set up in such a way to make us automatically think C is a jerk... and, IMO, it is simply not possible to give an answer due to the lack of detail

What if....

A: What should I do when I train Kung fu
B: You may try speaking in tongues and waiting for the aliens to help you
C: That's a stupid idea. ...
B: ...

or

A: What should I do in my research of Xingyiquan
B: You may try looking into Dai family Xinyquan
C: That's a stupid idea, everyone knows it comes from General Guan.
B: ...

Interesting thing there is although B is correct, C has likely been told that by his Sifu who is believing in the mythology of the style

or

A: What should I do when confronted by an aggressive person
B: You may try running, if at all possible
C: That's a stupid idea you need to punch him in the teeth, kick him when he's down and stomp on him mercilessly
B: ...

In all 3 cases, and there are multiple possibilities as to what this conversation is about, the response of B changes drastically and in some cases it may be best not to respond at all

 

[Instructor]

In all 3 cases, and there are multiple possibilities as to what this conversation is about, the response of B changes drastically and in some cases it may be best not to respond at all

I find myself here more and more....

 

[Transk53]

What has happened to cause the question being asked anyway?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Hasn't everyone had this conversation about a thousand times on this forum already?

I don't think there is any general agreement or conclusion on this situation at all. Of course I could be wrong and I have not search through the whole forum yet.

Of course if you start a thread and share your information, when people disagree with you, you may have the obligation to respond to all posts. But if you just try to suggest the OP's question, do you truly need to respond to others?

In all 3 cases, and there are multiple possibilities as to what this conversation is about, the response of B changes drastically and in some cases it may be best not to respond at all

I agree "it may be best not to respond at all". Both B and C are allowed to have their free opinion. There is no need to get into any argument just because their opinions are different. B shares his opinion and C shares his opinion. It's up to A to decide which opinion that he may want to accept.

What has happened to cause the question being asked anyway?

The subject is not important. It's how far should we try "not to get into argument during online discussion". To agree the disagreement is important IMO.

 

[Transk53]

The subject is not important. It's how far should we try "not to get into argument during online discussion". To agree the disagreement is important IMO.

Yeah that would be true. I don't really like to use the disagree button, so constructive arguments are good and yes to be humble is paramount. But being a forum, this does not always translate either.

 

[blindsage]

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Yeah that would be true. I don't really like to use the disagree button, so constructive arguments are good and yes to be humble is paramount. But being a forum, this does not always translate either.

Most of the argument caused by someone wanted to have the last word. If you let the other person to have the last word, most of the argument can be avoided. IMO, there is a big difference between "discussion" and "argument". It's not hard to sense a discussion is going, or an argument is going. To participate discussion is fun. To participate argument is not.

The following is "discussion".

A: You can do ...
B: I don't understand what you are trying to say, could you give an example?

The following is "argument".

A: You can do ...
B: That's a stupid idea.

We all know that:

- more opinion -> more argument
- less opinion -> less argument
- no opinion -> no argument

but where should we draw that line?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Again. it all depends on what is said in the "entire" conversation, was there something said before A and B got involved

What if it is

A1: I've decided to get back into shape after a series of injuries, I'm 60 years old and I'm looking for a good way to start
A: You can do 500 squat thrust doesn't matter if you warm up, what your condition is, or how old you are
B: That's a stupid idea.

B might be justified.

 

[Transk53]

Most of the argument caused by someone wanted to have the last word. If you let the other person to have the last word, most of the argument can be avoided. IMO, there is a big difference between "discussion" and "argument". It's not hard to sense a discussion is going, or an argument is going. To participate discussion is fun. To participate argument is not.

The following is "discussion".

A: You can do ...
B: I don't understand what you are trying to say, could you give an example?

The following is "argument".

A: You can do ...
B: That's a stupid idea.

We all know that:

- more opinion -> more argument
- less opinion -> less argument
- no opinion -> no argument

but where should we draw that line?

We draw the line at acceptance. The above is mostly obvious, we don't need to be confined to small sandbox. It can be done that argument is good, we all learn by losses. Sorry and no disrespect, but I have to disagree with you. It is not all Black and White!

 

[Balrog]

Also please notice that since B and C had never agree on anything in the past. There is a great chance that when B responds to C's comment, B and C could start another 20 pages of argument. If you are B and if you can sense that ahead of the time, Do you even want to start that argument?

If I'm B in this case, I would have put C on ignore quite some time ago.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If I'm B in this case, I would have put C on ignore quite some time ago.

Agree! When Bill Maher meets Rush Limbaugh in the same room, there would be only "argument" and there won't be any "discussion".

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

argument is good, we all learn by losses.

I don't know there will be any "losses through argument". Sometime ago I competed in a debating contest. The subject was "Is individual more important than the country, or is the country more important than the individual?" No matter how deep that I might get into that argue, there would be no winner and there would be no loser. The same will apply on MA discussion such as:

- Is striking superior than grappling, or is grappling superior than striking?
- Is TMA better than MMA, or is MMA better than TMA?
- Is "sport training" better than "SD training", or is "SD training" better than "sport training"?
- After you have thrown your opponent down, should you remain standing, or should you follow your opponent down to the ground?
- Should you train slow, or should you train fast?
- If you have solid MA foundation, can you learn from video?
- Which MA style is the best?
- Should you develop technique on both sides, or should you just develop your technique on one side only?
- ...

For example, if you like to develop technique on both sides and I like to develop technique on one side only, through the discussion (or argument), how can you make me a loser (or the other way around)?

IMO, all those discussions are just look at the same subject from different angles and there will be no right and wrong answer. So there won't be any "losses" through discussion (or argument).

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Again. it all depends on what is said in the "entire" conversation, was there something said before A and B got involved

What if it is

A1: I've decided to get back into shape after a series of injuries, I'm 60 years old and I'm looking for a good way to start
A: You can do 500 squat thrust doesn't matter if you warm up, what your condition is, or how old you are
B: That's a stupid idea.

B might be justified.

How about the following conversation?

A: How can I avoid my head to be hit in sparring?
B: You can hide your head behind your "rhino guard".
C: That's a stupid idea.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Your asking for an answer to a made up discussion I am not C nor can I speak for C, but other than the use of "stupid" it sounds like a discussion to me, not an argument because B defused it by asking why and not going on the attack