Has a GN discussion/thread ever swayed your opinion?

Yes, I was adamant that Shamima Bagin (sp) should stay in the camp in Syria. She had chosen to leave the UK. she was educated and should have known what she was doing.

After reading various comments on multiple threads regarding her fate, I totally changed my opinion, she is the UK’s problem and should be dealt with here.

It is rather hypocritical of a country to deport foreign nationals for various crimes and then not take responsibility for its own citizens abroad.

(I am blaming, spelling and grammar mistakes on the heavy duty painkillers I am taking, sorry)

A few.
Not that many.

I tend to write it on the thread if it has happened.
If I start reading a thread about something, and change my mind by the end of it.

Yes, I have modified my opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill since reading posts on this.

GrannyGravy13

Yes, I was adamant that Shamima Bagin (sp) should stay in the camp in Syria. She had chosen to leave the UK. she was educated and should have known what she was doing.

After reading various comments on multiple threads regarding her fate, I totally changed my opinion, she is the UK’s problem and should be dealt with here.

It is rather hypocritical of a country to deport foreign nationals for various crimes and then not take responsibility for its own citizens abroad.

(I am blaming, spelling and grammar mistakes on the heavy duty painkillers I am taking, sorry)

That’s interesting GG I remember the thread!

I was of the opinion she should not enter the UK from the start.

I hope your pain killers work!

Sometimes - it makes you see another point of view. Not so much on the political threads but on other topics. The politics here are different in many ways, we have different issues and sometimes diametrically opposing views. I think Christianity is more widespread here.

I have learnt much, and yes, knowledge does sometimes sway my opinions.

What I have learnt is provide links and evidence and expect just a few people not to take what I might consider the “compassionate and empathetic line”.

Lots of very decent, open and honest lovely people on here.

Have a good weekend

I would say MN in particular influenced some of my views on womens rights issues such as same sex care, prostitution, etc. I dont know if they changed my mind as such, but I thought about those subjects more.

No, not really, but it is interesting to read other points of view and to know that opinions can be so deeply divided.

One I remember that changed my mind was about the titles we give to certain professions and whether they are different for the different sexes. E.g waitress, actress. What changed my mind was someone pointing out that we don't say doctoress or professoress, and I had a complete change of opinion.

I like to think I can be swayed by reasoned argument but will never agree with some of the extreme views stated on here.

Not so much changed my opinion. But I have received some excellent advice on various subjects.

No

I’ve found it helpful to see comments from people with different views.

I think maybe helped me form an opinion rather than change it if I hadn’t made up my mind about something.

Even the politics thread has helped me occasionally!

It’s certainly made me realise what a diverse group of people we are!

It's shown me how loud minorities can seem.

Others have often extended my knowledge.

I've always believed in facts and compromise but it seems many on here don't. Perhaps that's particular to the demographic?

Yes, sometimes especially if I'm agonising over something or over thinking

I am sure i have, if not changed, moderated my opinions on some subjects after reading threads on GN, although none immediately springs to mind.

For me the biggest benefit from GN is the wide variety of people it brings togethe with wider range of backgrounds lives and experiences than I could ever possibly meet in my ordinary life.

I think some threads have definitely made me think about certain subjects from a different point of view, and perhaps see things from a different angle. I agree with PoliticsNerd that others have also extended my knowledge too. I think it's very helpful to be able to read a wide range of differing opinions, even if you don't necessarily agree with them. Having a closed mind and refusing to acknowledge any view other than your own doesn't do anyone any favours.

Yes sometimes! On many issues there can be several perspectives and different trains of thought. There has to be some nuance hardly any issues are rarely black and white. There are certain posters here on GN, from both the left and right, that pose really good arguments and some for me really nail their point of view brilliantly, I'd always listen to them, there are others I swerve because I know they're going to trot out a tunnel visioned party line, or come out with that hackneyed old b****cks "You can't believe everything you read in the DM" be more original can you? My political beliefs these days tend to be fluid and non aligned, because so much rubbish has been peddled in what we're expected to suck up from both sides. Some institutions have too much power and abuse it. Lobbyists too, carry way too much influence and are often self-serving. Financial institutions, banks etc. setting themselves up as moral arbiters well, as the saying goes. "Go do something to yourselves" Banks are nobody's friend we live in an insane world where so much of this nonsense should be challenged and that's why the likes of Farage resonate. JK Rowling quite rightly said the left have their selves to blame for the election of Trump. I would never have voted for him for a multitude of reasons, but neither would I have voted for the Democrats either and I definitely would have voted for them once if I were an American.

My husband, who is a bit of a Tory, has said on the occasions when he switches on GB News, that he finds both James Schneider certainly on the left of Labour and Lloyd Russell-Moyle ex Labour MP, very listenable in how they present an argument and often agrees with them. He was telling me yesterday when watching James Schneider on Michelle Dewberry, "I can't help really liking him he speaks straight from the heart and comes over very well". I know both of us don't engage with anyone who seeks to steamroller their point of view whatever their political persuasion. Most voters don't want to be lectured or admonished it's a massive turn off.

Made me more well informed on a number of issues, what others think, and yes sometimes given me an opportunity to form a POV on something I didn't know about.

Very rarely shifts my opinion. Too many posts from people with entrenched and bigoted views.

Grantanow

Very rarely shifts my opinion. Too many posts from people with entrenched and bigoted views.

Don't the first and second sentences of your post mean much the same thing?

I must have changed my opinion over the decade or so since I joined.

I would hope that I’m not so cloth-eared not to listen to other arguments.

But saying that I do have a set of moral principles that I live with so arguments that break these principles I find very difficult to be swayed by.

I am not a Christian but being brought up in a Christian country, I am aware of the 10 most important values of a Christian belief, and think that these are a good starting point.

No never actually made me change my opinion, but offered others that I had never thought about.