Has reading a post ever facilitated a change of mind surrounding something of significance?

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

As for writing styles or presentation. I'm going to say no. Nothing in particular turns me off. Sometimes I have to be hit over the head to get the subject matter, other times I'm able to *sow the seed* as you said,
from a few buzz words. The story usually tells it's self if you hang in there long enough. Typed words are slippery and easy to misconstrue. I may read it one way today, come back tomorrow, and read it totally different. Same words.

Here is a perfect example of a post facilitating a change of mind. I read this post a few days ago and what Yellow band said about how easy it is to misconstrue typed words struck me. And the part that really got to me was when she said how she can come back the next day and read the same words completely differently. I sat with that awhile.

I started to consider that perhaps with some some posts I may misconstrue the intent. It's almost impossible not to inject some of your own understanding, opinions, beliefs or even suspicions into emotionless words on a computer screen. Even just reading it requires your own inflections.

Then I realized that this sometimes happens with my own words. I'll write something and I know what I meant and how i meant it and yet I'll come back a day or so later, read the same words and be struck by how they sound much different from how I meant them.

So now because of Yellow band's post I have had the opportunity to reflect on how I may read things that aren't necessarily there in the post of another and also that i might want to focus more on the message rather than the presentation. Less chance of confusion that way.

Of course as Betenoire mentioned it is difficult to deal with people who feel a difference of opinion is a personal attack. As well as those who attack the person and not the ideas.