Well King, I never said it was "always and everywhere." I've seen stuff like that here too, but it's never become institutionalized or part of the culture in ways that have been a problem for me. And yes, better listening skills ain't gonna help in that case. But it does seem like a perfect example of the sort of "argument of bad intentions" that I think can be combatted by an equally loud shout back questioning the premise. We don't always have to listen or shut up, but we should also follow the old adage about mud-slinging: if you're gonna fight in the mud with pigs, the pigs will likely win.

King Banaian - 2/14/2004

As I recall the quote, it's "Never wrestle in the mud with a pig: You'll get dirty, and the pig likes it." Understood, but once in a while you just have to clean the sty.