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[The Headliner]

How do you deal with people who are incapable of rational discourse?

If someone keeps spewing opinions that are objectionable to you, and refuses to entertain arguments that don't support their own firmly held biggotry, how do you respond?

Do you keep banging your head against the wall, getting more and more frustrated? Do you bang their head against the wall? Do you shut down and refuse to acknowledge them? Do you laugh? Do you cry?

What do you find works best? 'Cause I could really use some ideas right now.

[Purple Marauder]

Are you actually talking about discussing bigotry or just someone that holds a different belief than you? For example, arguing with someone that hates someone because of the color of their skin is one thing, but arguing with someone that does or does not believe in a God is different.

My response would be different for each case. There are some times when the right thing and best thing is just to agree to disagree and move along. Other times fighting against an injustice deserves more tenacity.

[Kraul]

If it's online, I'm much more patient with people. If it's online, I'll usually be willing to entertain the discussion for some time but eventually I'll just walk away if the person is really that unwilling to co-operate or budge even the slightest in their opinion. I'm not interested in having arguments online anymore. Discussions, yes, but when it turns into an argument I am done. It's not worth getting worked up over someone who is probably just a troll.

Offline, I'll usually just ignore the situation altogether. The world is absolutely brimming with idiots and it's almost impossible to have a real give and take discussion with many of them, so I just don't bother. They can continue to think whatever they want to think or say what they want to say, just leave me alone.

Of course, I have had my moments where I can't take it anymore and I verbally snap and unload on them, but those are few and far between.

If it's something that is going to affect your life negatively, then I'd go around them when it becomes clear they're just going to be a frustrating obstacle. If it's something you really don't have to deal with, then just don't. There's enough in life to get stressed out over anyway, no reason to put yourself through it if you really don't have to.

[Advocate]

It is best to ignore it.

For instance, Ann Coulter came to Canada last year and spouted off her racist views.  People went to the shows and kept asking her questions to see if she is actually racist.  For instance, one Islamic girl asked her if she believes she should be banned from planes and Coulter told her to use a flying carpet.

People protested her, wrote hate messages, tried to get her banned, ect.

Thing is, Coulter is racist and anyone with a brain can tell that.  So why shout at her?  All she wants is a reaction.  It is like if I start yelling at a rock telling it that it is a rock.  It may never respond, but everyone around me knows it is a rock.  So all I have done is made myself look retarded by yelling at it.

[The Headliner]

Are you actually talking about discussing bigotry or just someone that holds a different belief than you?

I'd hope you'd know me better than that, but I'll tell you what wound me up today and let you decide if it's bigotry or just a different belief.

Someone I know has heard about a mosque being built near Ground Zero, and insists without a hint of a joke that he hopes someone blows it up and shows "them" what it feels like.

[Kraul]

I highly doubt anything you could say would change his mind. Most people like that are exactly thinkers. They just give a kneejerk reaction to whatever someone else tells them that makes sense to them.

You can try if you want, and maybe you'll at least shut the up/make them feel like an idiot, but they'll just continue spouting the same stuff to other people in response. That's the best you can hope for with people like that. That, and hoping they don't breed.

[Purple Marauder]

I agree with Kraul. If this person is a friend of yours, then I'd say do your best not to discuss the topic. If this person is not a friend then I would just say fuck that d-bag and move on. He doesn't understand that fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering...which leads to the dark side I believe.