[stargroup100]

Yo sorry for going off-topic a bit but this is an example of what I was talking about in the other thread:

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

Given the amount of societal setback + abuse that has come from crap like creationism, I think it's troubling that you find it merely entertaining.

Originally Posted by stargroup100

I don't find it amusing in the same way that someone enjoys seeing someone suffering or in pain. Seeing it as entertainment for me covers a few things that are important to me/that I like: it's a way of coping with the urge to fight/argue with these people, it's a way for me to understand the way other people think, it gives me insight on the reality that there exist a large number of people that think that way, and it challenges certain philosophies I accept almost without question to think about how and when they're valid. It is in this way that I justify the entertainment value I derive from listening to people present poor arguments.

In the past, an argument like this would've made me angry. However, today, rather than get mad, I try to figure out what reasons there could be that result in someone thinking this way (or unable to think in a particular way). Whether or not the person's views are "politically correct" (Zaevod's intentions are good, despite the inability to grasp the argument) is irrelevant. If we can understand the mechanics and psychology behind the ways of thinking of these people, we can get a better idea of how to either make them understand certain perspectives or make something positive/minimize the negative aspects of the fact they can't grasp certain viewpoints.

Bumping heads and getting nowhere isn't good for anybody.

The "entertainment value" I derived is a result of a defensive mechanism from getting emotionally heated and thirst for knowledge and understanding. It doesn't mean I find this to be funny in itself, or that I find the social implications to be funny.