[WikiEN-l] What's going on? - Inquiry 2

[Angela Anuszewski]

> I think this is a little touchy feel. The defining quality of humanity is
> reason. The extent to which some of our nationalists reject rationality
> is...depressing. I have little problems with spades being called spades, and
> trolls being labelled just that. In my rather crude way I don't see why
> those who mess up Wikipedia should not get what they merit.
>
> Moreschi
The problem is that people react to rational criticism emotionally.
When someone is told their behavior is inadequate for their
integration into a society, they naturally act emotionally. The
emotionally intelligent use their negative emotions to take positive
action. But, more often than not, individuals that do not want to face
their own inadequacies turn outward, insisting that the fault lies in
the source of the criticism and not themselves... which leads to
flaming, etc.

I, for one, don't bother to read a thread once it is clear that
emotion has gotten involved... nothing gets truly resolved once
rational thought is abandoned. The question is how do you teach people
to step away until they've calmed down and can approach things with a
clear mind? Until that happens, the vitriol will continue.

Angela