dealing with frustration and anger

Boran

Student
B
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Oct 3, 2008
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42
Hi,

I was wondering how one goes best to deal with the frustration induced by crazy people (of all kinds).
While Randi has superhuman patience for them and endures their ramblings patiently waiting and refuting every statement they make afterwards. I get this insane urge to shout at my screen "you crazy people, get professional help!". This might be a character defect of me (I'm not very patient) but I was wondering how other people on this forum deal with these frustrations and anger.

I guess replying to them and saying you think they are certified insane is a breach of forum rules.
 
It's only the internet. Try to stop feeling you have to compete so hard, remember that some people get their rocks off by winding people up, just relax.

As it has been said, never argue with a fool, for he is doing the same.
 
The trick is to pick your battles and to try and remember some people have deeply held beliefs and it's their right to have deeply held beliefs and it's not your job to convert anybody. If something bothers you, present the facts, and if they still don't change their mind then move on. Tolerance over arrogance.
 
Think of them as a goldmine of entertainment. If everyone were sane, polite and rational, the discussions could rapidly become boring...
 
I think one of Ayn Rands quote is quite suitable.

“Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone.”
 
Oh I know what thread you must have been looking at: This one! Yes, I agree, it's absolutely terrible what insane ramblings and cringe-making illogic has been going on there! :D Why don't they ban people from the forum for stupidity, eh? :D No wonder that one's made you really angry at the utter foolishness of some of the things people say here!

... Just remember the old saying: "He who resorts to abuse proves he has lost the argument ... unless the other one started it".
 
Boran said:
Hi,

I was wondering how one goes best to deal with the frustration induced by crazy people (of all kinds).
While Randi has superhuman patience for them and endures their ramblings patiently waiting and refuting every statement they make afterwards. I get this insane urge to shout at my screen "you crazy people, get professional help!". This might be a character defect of me (I'm not very patient) but I was wondering how other people on this forum deal with these frustrations and anger.

I guess replying to them and saying you think they are certified insane is a breach of forum rules.
Click to expand...
A good way is to become as logical and polite as possible.
Often a good approach is to concentrate on one specific piece of their nonsense and try to avoid all derails until you have nailed that particular issue.

Not that I personally do that - I let the more level-headed members take that high ground while I have fun.
 
I have a couple of friends, plus my boyfriend, who are willing to listen to me rant about idiots on the internet. It cools me off a bit, when I read something particularly offensive in its stupidity, to turn to someone in real life and say, "You won't believe what this moron on (insert website of your choice) was spouting off about!"

Once I'm sufficiently cooled down, I can decide how to argue in a reasonable tone ... or I can decide not to bother arguing at all.
 
One thing that might work with wacky stuff is developing a curiosity as to why they got to believe what they do, and maybe asking them.
 
Boran said:
Hi,

I was wondering how one goes best to deal with the frustration induced by crazy people (of all kinds).
While Randi has superhuman patience for them and endures their ramblings patiently waiting and refuting every statement they make afterwards. I get this insane urge to shout at my screen "you crazy people, get professional help!". This might be a character defect of me (I'm not very patient) but I was wondering how other people on this forum deal with these frustrations and anger.

I guess replying to them and saying you think they are certified insane is a breach of forum rules.
Click to expand...


Not all of them are crazy, they just have mistaken beliefs.

The best way is to just say "Well, how did I get here?"


And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful
Wife
And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?
Click to expand...
Talking Heads
 
Boran said:
I was wondering how other people on this forum deal with these frustrations and anger.
Click to expand...


Acceptance. It's somewhat of a cop-out but it's what works for me. Years of arguing against woo, theism, stupidity, etc can burn you out so I don't do it anymore (except perhaps for a little bit of self entertainment). I use the rationalization that the hardest thing to convince someone of is the obvious. Someone incapable of recognizing, (or refusing to acknowledge), the obvious is someone who is beyond help. There's no cure for stupidity. Once you've accepted this, it will relieve some of the frustration, (IMHO)...
 
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Boran said:
Hi,

I was wondering how one goes best to deal with the frustration induced by crazy people (of all kinds).
While Randi has superhuman patience for them and endures their ramblings patiently waiting and refuting every statement they make afterwards. I get this insane urge to shout at my screen "you crazy people, get professional help!". This might be a character defect of me (I'm not very patient) but I was wondering how other people on this forum deal with these frustrations and anger.

I guess replying to them and saying you think they are certified insane is a breach of forum rules.
Click to expand...

beer+marlboro (red) and of course JREF
 
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Boran said:
I get this insane urge to shout at my screen "you crazy people, get professional help!".
Click to expand...

Hmmm, so who's really the crazy one here? :D

Of course, you could always just not read the threads in any section that's likely to be particularly controversial.
 
Baby Nemesis said:
Of course, you could always just not read the threads in any section that's likely to be particularly controversial.
Click to expand...

So basically just don't read any of this site.

Actually, Forum Rules might be safe. Not that they're not controversial, but the section is locked so no-one can actually post there.

Modified said:
Suffer fools gladly?
Click to expand...

Gladly make fools suffer.
 
And as someone else said, "The fool in the mirror is probably you"
 
Of course, it's allright for people like me who never look in mirrors. Not looking in mirrors proves we can't possibly be fools. ;)

I was tempted to suggest to Boran that his own posts might come across as foolish to others, especially if he doesn't put forward reasoned argument but instead just condemns what some people say as stupid.

Why hasn't even the most intelligent mind on this forum gone to that thread I linked to and condemned it as the height of irrational woo? :D People here don't usually seem to have a problem speaking out against and mocking people who don't seem as clued up as them. Oh go on, people! It won't be hard to find the woo - it's evident from the very first post on the page!
 
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