I think these forums are a great place, to let others know your opinion and get a sense of who you are, but do other posts you participate in end up changing your mind?

I find that I always consider others opinions and am very open minded, but mostly I find myself believing what I already thought in the first place.

Some of them do add to my conviction and others just get me to think about from another point of view. Some are just lame.

Whats your take on it?
Do you grow from what you learn here, or are you completely set in your ways?

I find I learn a lot, if not facts, then about human nature.
The one thing I always repeat to myself is, no matter
what I believe, I could be wrong.

The chances of this, of course, are very slim :-)

I grow....I learn facts for sure, but I learn more about human nature by participating in and reading the forums...For me, it's fascinating and entertaining..People my age often get a bum rap when they are labeled "set in their ways"...It has more to do with "been there done that" even if it doesn't always come across that way..Change is hard, but once you've made the transition the rewards can be very, very good...

I am pretty set in my ways. I listen and learn how others feel and think though.

I think that any one who participates in the forums with an open mind will grow some . . .even if its just learning to be a little tollerant of others opinions. I know i have learned alot about myself here and about human nature. :)

I think you all are full of chit...........

Not changing my mind necessarily, although my mind has been changed considerably by the input and opinions of others in the past, it takes a rather large epiphany for someone to accomplish that and it is rather rare.

Kind of unfair asking if anyone grows or learns from things here, considering we are just vessels for learning and growing. We always learn and grow, regardless of whether or not we are set in our ways.

I find I learn a lot, if not facts, then techniques.

The one thing I keep repeating to myself is,
"No matter what I believe, if I don't stop this,
I will go blind."

In the orphanage I grew up, most students graduated with blindness, and sixty percent of the teachers were blind, too.

Seriously speaking, I agree with you, OP. I learned that when I was trying to convince Christians to leave their beliefs, because they are false, and can't be right. I never converted a single Christian, ever, in my life.

I also learned that atheist scientists, when they made one mistake in their explanations of anything, and I called them out on that, they would become viscious and so self-defensive, and more and more so, that further discussion was futile. They just insisted on their might, and that they know science. They quoted authorities, and I replied, yes, but you said, A, and then you said B, and then you said B follows from A, because C is true, and then I would point out some discrepancy in their reasoning. They can't handle that. They usually don't have original thoughts, or real analytical skills, they are memorizers, and eventually believe their memories of memorized science facts and theories more than a clear and simple explanation why those can't be that way.

In more recent times it happened on the science and fact forum, where someone was trying to force a theory of a rotating gasoline engine or some heat-and-quick gas expansion engine. He said it was imminent, its appearance on the market, and Chrisler was going to introduce it very soon. I said, the engine diagram makes no sense. He argued, and I argued, and that was maybe a year ago, maybe shorter, but the engine is not on the market yet. Of course I was not going to rub it in for him, this is the first I mention it. They guy was totally relying on authority, whereas anyone could tell from the diagram that the news item was a farce. It irked me, to be frank, that he was so convinced of his truth, when all apparent and readily available facts were presented. All he needed to do was to look at them.

Then there are the skeptics, who oppose everything everyone says, and if cornered, to state how they can have that insensible opinion, they will say "because I believe so, and there you go."

If I ever saw anyone admit to being wrong, it's me; I usually apologize, or simply take the blame; these have to do invariably by my antisocial behaviour when that happens.

And yes, I can be found to be wrong in reasoning or on quoting facts, and when I am shown, I withdraw my opinion. They have been documented in these forums. You won't find them easily, though, because I am a frequent poster and those instances are rare. Maybe I should have tagged them for easy search or look-up.

I've learned I don't understand poetry.....

Especially when it doesn't rhyme.

Usually what happens is what I read here just confirms what I was already thinking. But, it's not usually because of what's actually said.

actually those are easier for me

you too?

yup

Oh, never mind....

I listen and am pretty open minded. However I do keep in mind. "A persons mind changed against their will is of the same opinion still."

Are those for me?

I've learned there are a lot more nutcases out there than I thought there ever could be.

Most people are pretty resistant to changing their opinions. I guess our opinions make us who we are, and most of us don't really want to be someone different, at least not for very long.

I designed what I called a map of my head one time. It included opinions, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, everything. It was incredibly complicated as I noticed how all those things interacted with each other. Ever since then, I've given up trying to change anybody except myself.