Sarcasm never inspires trust.

This should be a no-brainer for people, but they either don't get it or have succumbed to the lure of appearing smarter than those of whom they're making game.

I'll spell it out for those would-be wags who don't seem to understand. When you make fun of people, they are not, repeat, NOT, so struck by your wit as to accept such petty vitriolic slander without resentment.

Furthermore, they are not inspired to trust anything you say or to come round to your point of view. I know of positively no one whose mind was ever changed because someone chose to denigrate his or her views.

Do you think someone like that would say to him- or herself, "Gosh, this person is just so witty! Perhaps they have a point! I should change how I think! They must be right, after all, if they're so clever."

Yeaaaahhhhh.....don't think so.

Today I was flipping through a controversial book called God is Not Great just to see what the author had to say. You know, attempting to be "open-minded" and fair. I had the feeling, just from reading the title, that I would not agree with the conclusions reached therein. However, I tried to give it a chance.

There on the first page to which I opened the book, the author was calling creationists "yokels."

So, insulting the people you're trying to convince -- yeah, way to win points with the opposing side.

Not!

Just had to vent, LOL.

We all do this on occasion, and sure, it feels good, but we have to keep in mind it doesn't do anything for our image, and it most certainly doesn't help win people over to our point of view. The only people that will enjoy hearing us rant on and on about what idiots the folks on the "other side" are are the ones who are already convinced that "we're" right and "they're" wrong. They'll get a laugh, but nobody else will. Especially not those who hold the opposing viewpoints. Just something to keep in mind.

:)