Well more like quit with the baiting but you are not doing that so I can't go that route. Which means I guess no way to foster peace and this will continue. I would put you on ignore but I enjoy your posts elsewhere when you don't have this weird Not Biffster mask on....so here we are.

 

It means exactly what I think it means. I just didn't directly answer your question because I know how you will take it.

So I changed my answer. My new answer is quit with the baiting and you will foster peace on the forum in regards to this.

bait
bāt/
verb
gerund or present participle: baiting

1. 1.
   deliberately annoy or taunt (someone).
   "the other boys reveled in baiting him about his love of literature"
   synonyms: taunt, tease, goad, pick on, torment, persecute, plague, harry, bother, harass, hound;
   informalneedle
   "he was baited at school"

 

Interesting. Because I think that you're no different. Based on your recent interactions, I'd say that you've been drawn toward conflict or have had a desire to start conflict, despite your desire to maintain a certain level of civility.

Because yes, what you said rings true. Most, if not all people have an instinctual desire for conflict. Because conflict is a variation of competition, and competition is what all life forms engage in to ensure that they are able to survive. It's a natural reflex for us to be engaged in or want to observe conflict.

So.... how can we as civilized people, maintain civility despite our evolutionary programming? Well for starters, we can simply worry more about our own personal conduct, and worry less about the conduct of others.

And to be honest, I think that's where you've been struggling as of late. You've been far too concerned with the conduct of others. Conduct that you have absolutely no control over. So in the midst of your frustration with that, you've taken a "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" approach.

But then you begin to feel some measure of guilt over it, and try to revert back to a more "morally sound" and open-minded approach. Maybe it's giving people mixed messages. Or maybe, with all due respect, you're just making more of this than the rest of us care to for ourselves.

One final thought.... I could be very serious about what I said to you, or I could be talking out of my ass. Weigh both possibilities carefully before you respond. lol

 

OMG not THAT post!

 

But she didn't say that to you. She posted a definition of the word "Bait" which happens to use those terms. She used that word and its definition to help better explain to you, a certain dynamic that she feels is important for you to understand.

And in response, you have decided to split hairs and engage in semantics to try and turn the tables. At least that's what seems to be happening from my POV

 

btw, I didn't say that to make you feel like shit or anything. I'm simply speaking about the dynamic itself without trying to direct it at you in a "judgey" type of way. It's difficult though because you were kind of directly involved in some of the situations that you're wanting to discuss. However, I tried my best to help answer your questions without coming off as personally attacking you. I hope you understand that.

 

Okay... Fair enough. I don't think anyone expects you to walk on eggshells though.

Maybe this just boils down to another misunderstanding. It sound like you're talking about broader, big picture concepts just for the sake of discussion. Whereas Pepper is coming from a point of view where these discussions are an extension of the hostile tone that took place in those other threads. Especially given the timing of when you decided to start this thread and have these discussions. It was right on the heels of when those threads escalated.

 

Sports is somewhat of a distant 2nd on that list. For some, a close 2nd. And what is the common denominator for all four of those topics? Conflict/Competition. Even sex. That's why they are so exciting to discuss, and yet so volatile.

 

I. Can't. Even.

 

You don’t even realize you just keep proving me right.

 

Biff. This response is the epitome of what she and @Jen7 are trying to point out to you.

Maybe you are trying to be funny. I don't know.

But I read that, and I think you are intentionally throw her words back in her face, verbatim. Then you add a little extra dash of salt (insult) with a remark about how she's not adding anything interesting to the discussion.

In other words.... you can't make a call for civility and then pop off with responses like that. It makes you look disingenuous. You savvy?