(BTW, I seldom ever see anyone change his mind
>because of persuasion from the opposite side on an e-mail list [of all
>things!].)
>
>Yoshie
right. carrol thought i was an asshole and completely unpersuadable but a year ago. ken persuaded me to read zizek. ange persuaded me to read balibar. i seem to recall eric beck being extremely hostile about butler and hey what he went and read butler. i could go on and on
you will find that this is because people are also persuaded by how people behave on listservs as well as in "real" life which is a stupid distinction. if anyone thinks that real life organizing and political practice isn't characterized by backstabbling and meanspirited slams hidden by the rules of ettiquette then you truly are nuts. and i'm not just talking personal experience here, take a look at the social movement lit, particularly the ethnographies. you will find the same thing in "real life" as you find on this list. at any rate, one is persuaded by Other people's intelligence, wit, humaneness, decency, skills at argument, even handed treatment of the issues, as well as their foibles and the human imperfection in all its glory.
and that's why yoshie i'd rather read *you* than quotes because you have more to offer than other people's words.
kelley