Topics you refuse to discuss

[Gottesstrafe]

Topics I refuse to discuss? That's a hard one.

There are topics I tend to avoid because generally no one says anything new or interesting in them (i.e. MLP, friendzone, and console comparison threads), and topics I don't post in because someone's already made my point (albeit more eloquently) or I lack sufficient knowledge of the subject necessary to contribute (like tech threads). I tend to find stagnation boring as hell, so I'm attracted to topics where debate is inevitable like your religion, politics, and consumer's rights vs. ip protection threads. Worst case scenario: it devolves into a flame war and get buried under catty bickering and posts that contribute nothing more than a demotivational poster or a quote followed by "I agree with you". Best case scenario: I gain a new insight or perspective into the debate, and get to witness when the champions of either side rise up to deliver verbal smack downs to each other. Even troll threads (not your typical run-of-the-mill post something blatantly offensive threads or threads where the op reveals how out of their depth they are and try to excuse themselves with the "I'm just trolling" excuse) have their place here, because well done troll threads manage to move a discussion or produce delicious melodrama.

I think one of the worst types of threads you could find are homogenous ones where everyone agrees with one another and no original ideas or insight can be found. I steer clear of those, and refuse to post in them.

 

[Jazoni89]

Sweeping generalizations about music. It is impossible to reason with anyone who does this. They have already made up their mind, no matter what you'll do you'll never convince someone that dubstep has merits or that death metal is not just noise. All they'll hear is the drone of a fanboy, even if you're being as objective as possible, and all you'll hear is the sound of someone screaming over the top of you to avoid listening. It's a free frustration handout is what it is.

Oh... how I would absolutely love to shove a copy of Burial's Untrue down the throats of everyone who complains about Dubstep. That would definitely shut them all up for good.

Also, Dubstep (even Brostep) > Death Metal. There I said it.

OT: Emulation, Autism, PC Gaming, Immigrants, Hitler, Relationships (Friend Zone ect) and Gypsies.

I try to avoid these subjects as much as I possibly can. They get far too heated for someone like me.

 

[Smallells]

Fight Club.
Wait, does that count as discussing it?

 

[Jazoni89]

Also, Dubstep (even Brostep) > Death Metal. There I said it.

Way to totally miss the point.

I just wanted to get my opinion out there that's all, not intending to start a flame war or anything.

 

[Eamar]

Party politics (in the UK). I don't have some "tribal" loyalty to any one political party, but the vast majority of people I've had the misfortune to discuss the topic with do (including my entire family, they've been voting for the same party for generations). I cannot understand always voting for the same party year after year, decade after decade without any thought as to how the parties may have changed or which one is best placed to govern under whatever the country's current circumstances happen to be.

The arguments people come out with tend to boil down to stereotypes, woefully out of date examples of a previous incarnation's activities (which often happened before the person was even alive), vague conceptions of parties' ideologies that haven't held true for generations and often, at the end of the day, "because it's what I've always done."

Maybe I'm a bit odd, but I consider it every voter's duty to read the damn manifestos of each party at an election, to research the candidates in your area, do your best to see through the spin on *all* sides, not just the bits that suit your existing biases, and to do your utmost to ensure that you make an informed decision. I find it staggering how little so many people know about the current policies of the parties they "just know" are "right."

I don't have much of an opinion on the American equivalent, because from what I've seen the two major parties actually are substantially different and relatively consistent. The same is not true in the UK.

I've voted Conservative, Green and Lib Dem in various elections in the last couple of years alone. I stand by my vote in each case, and would be happy to justify each choice I've made. But like I said, I've learned to avoid that sort of conversation

*breathes* I feel so much better for letting that out. Cheers OP!

 

[Sunrider]

Spoiler: Oh really?

You don't say.

The sarcasm was lost on you, wasn't it

That's pretty much how I expected you to look! The actual face, not the expression.

 

[Ryan Minns]

Any Atheist vs Theist debate, gotten to the point where both sides are usually too heavily set in their faiths to listen to reason.

Sometimes true Atheists/Theists show their face which can lead to some good discussions by they usually get chased off but idiots.

 

[SD-Fiend]

Religion: they can only involve the idiots and bigots on both sides
Circumcision: I've only seen about 2 on this site and they were just terrifyingly long and pointless. it was just people acting like the practice was from the devil.
I also tend to stay away from threads that involve "I hate humanity "in them. all I hear is from them is this

Spoiler: a mad little kid

 

[Griffolion]

-snip-

The two biggies, politics and religion.

I don't get into religion because the two most vocal groups (and thus the groups most likely to engage you) about it are usually either utterly adamant anti-theists, who automatically think anyone with the slightest belief in anything that the known sciences can't quite deal with, don't accept evolution, are plain idiots, are brainwashed etc. OR, they are the complete opposite, 7 day creationist, uber-conservative, near-fanatical or just generally bat-poo crazy fundamentalists (of any faith, not just Christianity). Yes, there are people in the middle and those people I would talk to, but I just wash my hands of it all because it genuinely isn't worth the hassle, as many of you, i'm sure, will know.

Politics, mainly because I've had rather genuine and heated arguments with friends and family about these matters that have actually caused rifts that needed to be healed at a later date. I myself am a sucker for an argument if i get fired up, and i hold no punches, it's one of my pitfalls and I confess that openly. So I just avoid where possible.

Of course, If I see a discussion proceeding sensibly about either one, and am asked for my opinion, I'll gladly weigh in. Otherwise, mouth zipped. Note that "discussion proceeding sensibly" almost always applied to IRL, never the internet. Because it's the internet.

Captcha: "level playing field" - appropriate, perhaps?

 

[almostgold]

Abortion.

You either see a fetus as human life, or you don't. Thats the entire basis for either sides argument. "Women's Reproductive Rights" isn't a thing if it involves killing another human being. If a fetus isn't human, then you're intruding on someones medical rights for no reason. And if somebody already has an opinion in the is/isnt a life debate, you're not going to change their minds.

 

[bernardblack]

Religion, politics, abortion.

From my experience, there is just no way to have an objective discussion about any of these things. It usually devolves into a screaming match with everyone trying to yell louder than everyone else. It's just not worth it.

 

[GigaHz]

If it was a topic that I refused to discuss, why would I discuss it here?

That would sort of invalidate my stance on the topic.

 

[Kennetic]

Religion and politics. I feel like people act that I'm the second-coming of Hitler when I mention I'm a Christian

 

[Shock and Awe]

Whether or not theres a god. I used to do it when I was younger and I've heard every argument in the book. All arguing that does is get people pissy.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

BioWare.

And language. Which is unfortunate, since I'm a linguist. I've just gotten so sick of arguing with prescriptivists. (I still think it would do a lot of good to get people to realize that prescriptivism is a misguided waste of time, but...ugh, the struggle.)

Also anything that ultimately comes down to personal belief, like whether or not abortion is murder, whether or not God exists, etc. I'll still argue my point on the legality of abortion and the importance of religion, but I refuse to argue about those two basic underlying beliefs.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Whenever someone starts dropping feminist jargon like 'patriarchy' in the world that exists outside of forums dedicated to the subject, for me it is generally a reliable indicator that I'm dealing with a nutcase and should bail out of the conversation immediately. The use of unnecessary jargon is generally a good indication of the levels of unhealthy obsession when it comes to anyone dealing with anything, I just find people obsessed with feminist theory to the point they start bringing it up anywhere they can to be particularly obnoxious.

 

[Hollyday]

Who shot first: Han or Greedo?

I can't think of one single topic that I wouldn't have a good go at discussing, if only to discuss how ignorant of it I am/how much I don't care about it. I just like talking godammit. It's not the topic that's the problem, it's the people you're discussing it with. I have a very long list of people that I wouldn't discuss the weather with, let alone anything approaching controversial.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Pretty much religon, piracy and other dicussion that the op make a huge long of text (well most of the time).
I don't excatly hate dicussing those, those type of topics are not my forte or not enough for me to make a comment without me sounding like an idiot (know little about it).