I only take offense with ignorance, especially willful ignorance and the spreading thereof.

If I disagree I'll say so and sometimes and interesting exchange happens, sometimes not. If I think it's cobblers I'll say so too, but generally I'm as sarcastic as hell (Ooops!)

Everyone is entitled to there opinion here. This web site is more than sunshine and rainbows. I try to ignore the bad things to put less stress in my life. The positive things will give me a warm fuzzy feeling. If I got back at everyone that pissed me off, I wouldn't have any free time.

I don't take offence but look into it if it really is something that I do or say. Sometimes I am wrong and have to acknowledge it but sometimes I am not. Some people are just simply nasty and horrible, just for the sake of it. I wonder what did happened to them to be so. If you for example look at the person who calls himself goldenvalleyguy. I wonder what happened to him to be so angry all the time.

I wouldn't read that much into it because I'm not an idiot.

When I feel uncomfortable because something pricks my self-identification, I am trying to develop a habit of "leaning into" it (rather than turning away), really listening, without bias, and checking to see if there is something I need to work on there.

This is actually a huge, critically important and foundational element of my practice as a Buddhist. One might say it is essentially the entire practice, in a nutshell: how am I identified with this? How can I let go of this identification?

This would actually be an excellent topicmof discussion for "Dharma Café", for anyone who wants to go deeper/further with it.

I don't really pay attention to much of what is said about me here. There are maybe two people here who know me at all, and that is because we talked on the phone several times. Those are the only two people l feel l have any real idea of who they are. The rest of you are just words in black and white. No real personality. Sometimes l say things here just to see the reaction just like l do IRL.

Self criticism is very difficult to apply and take a positive reaction to. It means being true to oneself and attacking the flaws we know we have of which there can be many smoking, wt, being nasty, carrying a chip on your shoulder, gossiping etc. Age has a way with addressing some of these things if one wants to. You can call it wisdom, learning from your mistakes etc.What would be fantastic is if you could recognize these things earlier in life and therefore make your life more pleasant before you turn 80.

I suppose it depends on whether it was mean or not. Or truly meant for me.

Mostly not, but it depends on what mood I'm in.