Community Chat

[151949]

So often on this board posters will say someone is "unkind" or mean , nasty, snarky etc etc - whatever they can think up - just because someone disagrees with their point of view.  That is certainly an incorrect usage of the word kind or kindness IMO. You may say you are being disagreeable but why is it unkind to disagree with your opinion? Maybe your opinion is incorrect. So I'm interested to hear how people define the word kind or kindness. It seems the definition is subjective.

[mstyrion 1]

Disagreement can be kind or unkind.  It all depends on the words and tone used.

I think you know the difference.

[chrystaltree]

Please, I'm not getting drawn into that foolishness.   There is no right or wrong or "definitions" about things like that.  We're all individual with unique personalities and and we express ourselves accordingly.  If you don't care for a remark or a thread or poster; skip by it and move on to something else.  Why waste time and brain cells trying to psychoanalyze other posters.

[QueenDanceALot]

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@mstyrion 1 wrote:

Disagreement can be kind or unkind.  It all depends on the words and tone used.

I think you know the difference.

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Yes, the OP's question seems like a no brainer to me.

[nun ya]

It's all in the delivery.

You can say " I read this, you may want to look it up"

instead of...

"You uneducated fool, google it, maybe you can comprehend"

[deepwaterdotter]

Depends upon the BB moderator's definition most of the time.

[ChynnaBlue]

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@151949 wrote:

So often on this board posters will say someone is "unkind" or mean , nasty, snarky etc etc - whatever they can think up - just because someone disagrees with their point of view.  That is certainly an incorrect usage of the word kind or kindness IMO. You may say you are being disagreeable but why is it unkind to disagree with your opinion? Maybe your opinion is incorrect. So I'm interested to hear how people define the word kind or kindness. It seems the definition is subjective.

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I've rarely seen anyone called unkind or snarky just for disagreeing. People are called out for language or tone, which is not the same thing as just disagreeing.

[TuesdayTaylor]

I guess I would say treating others the way you'd like to be treated.  The good old Golden Rule.  I'm sorry to say I don't always follow that rule myself but I'm working on it.

[beckyb1012]

In some ways it is subjective.  What is kind to some but not to others.  It is sad we can not hear the tone of the words we type the way we can when we speak. 

Remember the line in Three Men and a Baby when Tom Selleck said it did not matter what he was reading to her (sports illustrated) but the tone of his voice.

Sometimes I think I am being supportive and see a post of someone who took it completely wrong.  Of course if we said love love kiss kiss with each post then it might be thought of as kind. I just try to be kind where it is apparant to all to read and not post if I get angry and move onto another forum.  Hard sometimes.

[sweetee2]

The difference to me is when I read a unkind posting it seams to be anger involved, where as kind is not.