I always admire people who have good listening skills. My oldest daughter can be a good listener. My youngest opened up last night about her relationships and as her mother I criticized her partner as being needy. I was not listening!
My kids said last night that I have become too critical. So when did my love and concerns of mother hood become cynical and critical?
I then realized that my politics and attitudes are also coming off this way.

Growing up I learned that if I was going to open up I needed to express my feelings strongly because seven siblings would interpret and drown out what I said.
That may be my hit and run behavior.

My big question is should we open up CGCS to more topics then politics as individuals are we not more?
I guess my concern is are the politics causing diversity rather then sharing and diversion?

never argue politics or religion

but this is a political board

and there are not only 2 but many factions of the 2 sides that are not arguable anymore, and there is no middle ground

One would suggest if there are subjects that give someone a headache, those subjects should be bypassed by that person but asking
to stop having those topics on a political board, one that is famous across the world, is a kind of censorship akin to the McCarthy hearings

and this board allows any and all topics to be discussed and no one stops anyone from discussing

though there have been times when say, someone like livyjr has been driven off any other topics but his own threads due to harrassment
and people not wanting arguments

and people not realizing arguing politics means nothing personal to another person, but arguing positions
and if you can give, you gotta be able to take it in stride.

CGCS already is much more than politics ....

I have a t'ai chi thread where no politics are allowed ....

There are poetry threads in here ....

There are many categories other than politics ....

And so ...

Your right I forgot.....just feeling my own flaws and not opening to possibilities.

we have had many music threads, including a current one that myself, taz and heart (3 people with many opposing views and arguments politically) where we leave politics out

We have talked movies (just have a current Star Trek, the prequel thread going)

We have a Susan Boyle thread

There are 100s and even 1000s of threads available, the 10 or so that have arguments can be avoided by those not wishing to argue, but some people like to discuss or argue those points.

and some threads can have bitter arguments and the most loving togetherness statements all in one too

People should lighten up a little, and realize a political statement said is not putting an individual here personally down.
Learn to separate the two and all.

That's alright, cutecat ....

Everybody has their own flaws to be working on, so you are not at all alone in that ...

Perhaps you try to push yourself too far too fast in here, and make a competition out of it, when a competition is not required ....

In here, you don't have to try and outshout anybody ....

You can feel free to express yourself, instead ....

That is why I have my t'ai chi thread, and why I keep it positive, which is to say, no politics or arguments ....

And so ...

And yes, too much critical thinking without some occasional light-heartedness such as graham and I indulge ourselves in in here from time to time could indeed turn you into a cynic ....

But if you are aware of that, then you work to avoid the trap .....

And so ...