I hear what you're saying....

So you're in an argument with someone and trying to get everyone to maybe calm down and understand where everyone is coming from. And then the person you're having a heated conversation with says these words "I hear what you're saying....but" and then they launch into the same things that they've been saying all along. Or "I see where you're coming from....but". Ya that's like telling me to calm down when I'm upset. It just doesn't happen. And it has the opposite effect of me calming down. In fact it makes me so more upset when I'm patronized like a two year old then if you just said I was an idiot for not understanding. In all reality you moron don't have any idea what I'm saying or where I'm coming from otherwise we would have already established that I'm right and you're an idiot. It's like apologizing before you insult someone, or sayings she's so nice but just ugly. That doesn't make it better, it makes you a hypocrite. Low simpleminded people who can't step outside their own preconceptions and prejudices and even see the value in the other person's argument don't help anyone. Even if you're not going to agree, just being able to understand where another person is coming from helps everything. You don't have to agree, just by understanding doesn't mean that you're going to have to give up your convictions and "go to the dark side" or whatever the hell you think is going to happen by having a rational conversation. It's amazing to have your own opinions and convictions, I applaud that in everyone, but being so shortsighted that you can't even objectively think about anything other than YOUR opinion is not a good thing. In fact it makes everything in the "real world" harder to deal with and you make everything harder than it needs to be. Don't be scared to see things from others' viewpoints, that's not necessary.

Sorry for the tirade....but this probably is my biggest pet peeve in the entire universe and I had to vent.