Thick skin is required on "open" RF threads.
If you are not comfortable with this town square style of debate, then IGNORE "open" RF threads altogether and instead post to threads labeled "caucus" "ecumenical" "prayer" or "devotional."
Even a “thick skinned” poster can be disgusted by some of the behavior on the open threads.
Fascinating.
I must have spent a bit more than a third of my life pouty, hurt, depressed, miserable, in a shell, whiney, complaining, grumbling, I was afraid of my own shadow and terrified of facing others squarely, forthrightly on equal candid terms . . .
Sure, there were some valid, horrific parenting reasons for some of the angst.
Yet my biggest problem was I was chronically upset because the world wouldn’t relate to me according to my distorted sensibilities and thin skinned expectations.
The world would NOT conform to my image.
What a surprise! LOL.
Eventually, I learned that I could use words better than some and at least defend myself somewhat tolerably that way. I could even profer my perspective with some good, gratifying results. I didn’t have to be a disgruntled fraidy-cat throwing cat litter at everyone for not conforming to my image.
I could throw words at folks who didn’t have the brilliance to agree with me. God help the world ever since! LOL.
However, it did mean I had to grow up a lot more.
It did mean I had to quit demanding/expecting everyone to like me and fluff my pillow.
It did mean that if I ever hoped to have my perspective gain even a hearing, much more so some support, I had to share my perspective in convincing ways.
Further, that some folks had reasonably healthy and authentic fun poking big sharp holes in thin skins and hollow perspectives. I should expect it. It could even be liberating—of me, for me.
Noise, whining, dust throwing, pretense, haughtiness, pouting, wailing, whining, gross distortions of fact, gross deceptions, gross lack of insight, gross cluelessness . . . and the like . . . just didn’t cut it in the public square any more than they did on Mars hill in Athens in Paul’s day.
I also learned . . .
more than a little to my painful but often liberating chagrin . . .
that
I was typically MOST UPSET
NOT when contenders were wrong about me
but WHEN they were most annoyingly RIGHT.