Thumbs down trolls

You ought to be a little more carteful about how you say things. Just because you do not agree with me it doesn't mean what I am saying is complete nonsense. So just keep that in mind.

In fact what I am saying is not nonsense at all.

As I have said to you before I had very close and very personal exparience with my son getting bullied a lot at high school. The fact is, nobody is going to make it go away for you. After talking to teachers. the principal and even the police, we realised we had to solve the problem on our own. Both my wife and I then adviesd our son the same way as I just did you. Fortunately my son was smart enough, strong enough and diciplined enough to ignore the bullies, and the problem was gone withih 6 months. It was not an easy period, but the bullies moved on, and started with someone elso who was ready take the bait.

In another post of yours on this thread you stated "I don't like that people who say unpopular things get hammered..." That is part of the problem. In my opinion why this problem exist is due to a number of factors:

1. Using your own words, you very often "say unpopular things". In other words you have controversial opinions. It is perfectly ok to have controversial view. But when you do that you must know that you will be unpopular yourself, and in your own well considered interest you should be able to deal with the consequences of being unpopular. Part of those consequences is occasionaly (or regularly) getting thumbed down, and clearly, you are not able to deal with that. It is a little bit like rubbing a cat the wrong way, then complaining that it has scratched you ... Should have seen that coming.
2. When others take issue with you in regards to those unpopular opinions (as I have done on some occasions), you all too often resort to name calling. When others present their arguments to you supporting their own views, and you are unable to deal with with those arguments in a rational way, you declare it nonsense, cheating and sinister manipulations. I have been on the receiving end of some these outbursts of yours, and occasionally did struggle to keep things civil. So, it is not only that you have unpopular opinions, you also have evidenced a total lack of ability to appreciate and respect opinions different from yours and arguments supporting those different opinions. This stitiuation can only go in one direction.
3. When people do react to the above two types of conduct by giving you some TDs, you get offended, make a huge problem out of it, and appeal to the community to protect you.

It is my view that 90% of your problem is self inflicted. Therefore, you yourself hold the key for solving it. This is what I think you could do to alleviate your problem:

1. Use more care and a wider angle of view when forming your opinions. When you know it is a controversial one, present it in a way so that people become more receptive to your "different" ideas. Like just because you had a negative experience don't generalize and make a blanket statement like "consumer protection in Australia is a joke". With a more measured tone you would dampen the reaction and find more sympathy.
2. Have respect for your fellow forum members (and other people of cours) and their opinions, even if it is dfferent from yours. Be ready to give due consideration to a counterarguments and be "big enough" to be able to say "yes mate, I think you're right" when it's appropriate.
3. When you have done the above two things and you still get TDs, then stop worrying about them like most of us do. It is totally up to your mind how you see a TD. Don't get upset, take it easy. Many of the posters here have suggested that in their various ways, but you have comprehensively rejected the idea as being nonsense.

Don't reply to this post. Think about it instead.

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Cheers,
Peter Jonas