Love and Joy vs. Hate and Despair

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 191053



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" <dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
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> > June:
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>  I have mentioned this loads of times on here but a couple of people are still on about Dumbledore being the bad guy and I think that although it is only really just a couple, that Margaret is seeing it as many, but it isn't.
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> Alla:
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> I do not even know what to say after Steve's excellent post, but I am going to try one more time. Please understand that even if people who disagree with you are seeing where you are coming from and find your explanation perfectly clear, they do not have to buy it. ....
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> The purpose of these conversations in my opinion had never been to *convince* anybody, ... A lot of people still have the same stance on many topics that I remember since year 2002, 2003, 2004 and of course I am including myself in it, even if I changed my views on some topics too.
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Steve:

A case can be made for anything. There are those who see Harry Potter as a vile nasty ill-behaved little boy who should be chained to his bed at night to keep him out of trouble. He breaks rules, he gets into mischief, he doesn't obey his elders, he uses UNFORGIVABLE CURSES!!!. There is plenty of evident to be made that Harry is an ill-behaved juvenile delinquent more in need of a good strapping, than kind forgiveness. 

THERE IS EVIDENCE to support that position, and there are many people who hold that position. Many people who believe that rules and laws are absolute and should never be disobeyed. 

Fortunately, I'm not one of those people. I'm with Thomas Jefferson when he said, paraphrased, that laws are by they tyrants will, and that rights and what is morally right carry more weight than law. Obviously, others disagree. 

But these are opinions, these are perspectives, they don't dictate anyone's reality. Some think Dumbledore was a bad person who did terrible things, others believe he borders on sainthood. 

Who is right? Well, everyone is right! Everyone has a right to a particular opinion, especially if it is supported by an interpretation of the books. Everyone can have their own perspective. 

You can make your case, others can make their counter arguments, then you can clarify your position, then they can refine their position, and on and on. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, there comes a point when you need to know when to say when. There comes a point called "ping-pong" posts where people are making the same arguments over and over again, and no one is budging.

The thing you need to remember, and the thing that Alla is alluding to is that the goal in NOT to convince people, but merely to make your case in a clear coherent convincing way, and if others don't get it, that's their problem. So, in a discussion, especially one in which you don't agree, the key to benevolent outcome is simple knowing when it is time to move on. 

But then, that's just my highly entrenched and unyielding opinion. 

Steve/bboyminn