Hahah, zo, I love you 
I think part of the reason that has initiated some of the bitter conflicts is the intolerance for my views. In the the “whose fault” thread I expressed the view that everybody is responsible for their own actions and choices, and that one has the will power to make the best of their circumstances. This view was attacked as being uncompassionate to the unfortunate ones and then quickly turned into personal attacks against how evil and black-hearted I am for having such views.
Another of my views which has attracted wave after wave of attacks is my view that Yoga is Hinduism and that Yoga is a Hindu practice and will make you Hindu. I have been accused of being a nationalist, fanatic, lunatic fundamentalist for having this view.
Another one of my views is that Hinduism is an exact science which is superior to all sciences, philosophies and religions and is backed up very strongly by quantum mechanics. In response I have been told I am crazy, I do not understand quantum mechanics etc
So it is evident that the reason for all this conflict is intolerance for accepting certain views. I have no problem if people disagree with my views, but I expect them to dialogue with me and discuss them with me. However, this is not what happens, it turns into overt personal attacks.
I literally spent over an hour writing some long, drawn out reply that spilled out my wisdom upon the world so that it might help you all deal with your current situation. Then I deleted everything, because it was all pride talking. I was thinking I knew something because I have education and experience and have learned from great teachers; but really, I think a lot of us are often just talking to hear ourselves say something we think is profound, and it does nothing to help the situation. Seeing it in other people helps me to see better when I do it myself; so maybe I HAVE learned something recently while I was staying up late to read the thread-battles that I was not involved in.
Don’t let a few people discourage you from your path. When someone says something over-the-top or insulting, remember that you don’t need validation from anyone else. None of us are qualified to judge the worth of others, regardless of what we think. We all came here to participate from the learning and teaching of many people, and there are extraordinary things to be imparted here, but that doesn’t mean that any of us has the qualities of a good teacher, or that we have the qualities of a receptive student. So, have compassion for those who are not equipped for constructive conversation or the imparting of what they know, and compassion for yourself for keeping the fire going.
I bet everyone will ignore this whole post, because it’s quaint and neutral and boring, so I will add something humorous and practical, in BOLD, so that people will read from here down:
[B]Did you ever hear the saying, "When you argue with an idiot, nobody can tell which one it is?[/B]
You can spend all day fighting and defending yourself, but only you and the person you are arguing with are really keeping track of who wins, and the score is quite meaningless in the long term. This is a public forum on the internet. People drop out of conversations for real life all the time, and anyone reading the thread in the future won’t be able to tell if you walked away from arguing because you were chicken, enlightened, stupid, or had to go back to work. Any perception the readers [B](! or the participators !) [/B]have of who was right or wrong is based entirely off of their perception and identification with philosophical leanings, so you really don’t need to go way out of the way to defend your honor. We’re all going to see what we want to see anyway. Just walk away. Relax.
I can personally relate to these two points of yours, Adam. I sometimes feel discouraged here too, that many recent threads are overrun by pointless challenges and what also seems like outright bullying. Like Zo, I read and add to those threads that I hope will benefit me and benefit others; but I skip so much now, both in reading and adding to. For the first time here, I am avoiding threads that I’ve added to because I am worried about what has followed. My heart honestly quakes from this sometimes, from seeing how others and myself have been treated here.
It can be really challenging to not respond to, to not speak to what you may consider wrong (thinking/explaining/position/logic/toothpaste choice/interpretation…million+one) but I get some peace of mind in knowing that I could never speak to [I]everything[/I] that I feel/see/opinionate is wrong in the world, or on this forum, due to time and personal energy constraints, but also we are not being called to it either, not by good sense anyway. For me, for my jump to chase these wrongs done, this is my ego tripping, and it my ego’s response to another’s ego’s tripping.
I get a sense of your heart from what you have shared here, and Oh boy! It is big, and beautiful and courageous. I admire you so, so much. Please stay on here and please care for yourself while you are here on the forum. Please protect that gorgeous heart and your practice that you are growing with a wise firmness.
[quote=suryadaya;34523]People drop out of conversations for real life all the time, and anyone reading the thread in the future won’t be able to tell if you walked away from arguing because you were chicken, enlightened, stupid, or had to go back to work.
[I] Reason: I took too many years of English to read anything I wrote without editing it. I even edited this reason for editing. OCD [/I][/quote]
i promise that i read your whole post, not just from the bold down. 
thank for it all, though i am left cheering and grinning from resonating with the above.
*nichole
These words are so true and beautiful to me and I trust that they will resonate with most here on the forum. Thank you for your kindness shared here.
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;34477] I have been occupied with defending mine and others opinions and views, which are seemingly under constant attack.
[/QUOTE]
Do you think this is Forum’s problem?
[QUOTE=zo_manik;34498] I suppose we shouldn’t treat this forum unlike any other experience in life.
[/QUOTE]
Indeed!
I recently posted that I’m getting pissed about people who are continually harping about the state of this forum and could use some advice since, I too, am getting discouraged. Adam, I hope you don’t mind me doing this here? I just felt it was applicable.
I consider this forum to be a virtual yoga studio. I’m the owner of the yoga studio and running it how I see fit. We have members who have been members of this studio since long before I took it over and see many new members each day.
Things have changed. Some might think for the better, some might think for the worse. Both are probably correct. If YOU were a studio owner, how would you feel if there were a few people who regularly came into the lobby of your studio and were quiet for the most part, except never missed an opportunity to lament about the state of the studio when the opportunity presented itself?
As a studio owner, you’d probably seek their insight. And some of what they’d say would no doubt be correct and you’d work to change it. And some of what they’d say would no doubt be correct but for whatever reason, you didn’t want to change it. And some of what they’d say you probably wouldn’t agree with. And sometimes that person wouldn’t give you a straight answer for whatever reason.
Am I correct in my feeling that at some point their opinion is no longer useful and they’re doing exactly what they may be ranting about, just in another way? If those people continued to come into your studio and it was bothering you that they were never missing a chance to comment on the state of your studio, what would you do? Or am I being over sensitive or is there something about this I need to personally work on?
David - If they are still coming to your yoga studio after complaining, then they secretly like it. Don’t be fooled. It’s like that little girl who called you stupid on the playground when you were seven years old because she liked you.
Accept the truth that everyone who flags a post for review on the forums has a secret crush on you, and you will no longer have that sinking feeling of discouragement in your belly when you check your messages every day.
<3<3<3 <------ see that? That’s for you. Good luck.
I am relatively new to the forum. Besides the intolerance and impolite (at times filthy) language, another problem caused by the warring individuals is to take the whole thread astray. They literally hijack the conversation into their war zone. That becomes very frustrating and forces one to move away from a good thing going.
The two (or three) individuals at loggerheads here may also look out for two real culprits sitting right inside you. One, is the impulse to react. You can always find the other person instigating, and consider that as a valid cause. That’s plain and simple, ego at work. Second, is the animal impulse. If you see what is written, there is a clear pattern, after a few lines of sensible arguing, there is a sudden outburst. If you call yourselves Yogi, this offers an excellent opportunity for progress. Work on the two impulses; everytime they erupt, take a pause. Over time, you can enjoy a relaxed indifference to the other person’s views and the vileness.
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;34477] I would like to continue down my Yogic path, but I do not want a bitter taste in my mouth when reading Sutras or attending to my daily Yoga practice. [/QUOTE]
I know what you mean… I think meeting with emotionally developed yogis could help (personally or by reading). Especially from Hindu background. Then new experience could put the bitter ones in perspective. You could see bigger picture and separate knowledge and people - see that there are many people with different personalities practicing yoga and binding yoga with just one type of personality is just emotional reaction.
There are many great people practicing yoga (both of hindu and not hindu background) who can inspire you and teach you. Why would you want to spend time and energy in arguments?
I found a wonderful piece of writing that really opened my eyes today.
It’s advice given by the extraordinary german philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer
“We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people, when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts , the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.”
Here’s another one I’ve always liked, Adam.
I think it’s easy to get caught in the web of discussion, especially when I am passionate about an idea that contributes either by asserting the issue or confronting one. Someone commented on this being ego driven, not that there is anything wrong with ego.
I must admit I get a kick out of eager, young or old souls laying down their version of the truth as “it”. I figure it may help getting them aloft by poking holes in the balloon so they can build a better balloon.
I also enjoy lurking aroung the asana discussions for insights to improve my practice.