How should I respond to friends who unnecessarily make fun of me? I really can't ignore them, as they are either my friends or fall in a friend circle. I sometimes try to fight back but I fail at their level of making fun.
There is a good chance they are doing it because they are insecure. If you want it to stop, use operant conditioning - basically, train them to stop. Here is how.1) figure out something you can say in retort that lets them know a) their comment didn't bother you and b) that it was pretty stupid.This can be - "thank you very much for that information" (in a deadpan voice) or "that was a mean thing to say" in a matter of fact tone of voice. I know someone who simply says the word "respect." and leaves it at that. As long as it is calm, not rude and lets them know what they just said wasn't ok with you, but that it didn't rile you up either.2) Practice saying this so that you can deliver the line/retort in as calm and matter of fact way as possible. You aren't mad at them, it just isn't something they should continue doing or saying.3) practice making eye contact when you deliver the line. If you are incapable of making eye contact, look above their head or at their ear.4) Whenever they say something mean or stupid, say your line, the same line. EVERYTIME! No exceptions. They will most likely be confused at first and then they will try to make fun of you for actually responding in a way they don't like. This is their attempt to get you to go back to the old way of responding, which they clearly liked. Don't go back. Continue as if you are a broken record and repeat until they stop. It is the consistency of your response that will get them to stop. If you sometimes do this and sometimes don't you will be variably reinforcing them and that will cause them to get worse and escalate their behavior. (The dynamic you are triggering by doing this btw is called an extinction burst).5) Whenever they behave respectfully and nice, smile, talk and engage with them and basically positively reinforce their good behavior.Hope this helps. If you want to learn more check out http://thebullyvaccine.com
What do you think of the oversimplified myth 'CO2 is plant food'?
Hah thanks for the question. I wouldn't say I tore it apart though so much as tried to qualify it. It doesn't make sense to me how some people can argue that the climate is far too complex to predict, then turn around and try to present complicated topics like plant responses to CO2 in extremely simplistic terms. Maybe they just aren't aware of all of the variables that exist, so hopefully articles like this can bring them to light. I'd like to point out that david b helped out a good deal with this, by explaining some of the trickier concepts to me and providing some great references. *** EDIT: Eric, thanks for reading it. <
Why do women wear revealing/tight clothing?
k, that was a test cause I only have 1000 word limits in each additional detail lol. Rape IS a daily thing and happens once around every minute somewhere in the world. A big chunk of this happens in America. I pointed that out cause I know some people probably think they're safe in a developed country like America. By no means is this a small topic that can be answered here and there isn't really a true answer though so far, some answers have be very good. Someone mentioned about these clothes being comfortable and I gotta argue that. If it is so comfortable, why suddenly start wearing it at 14 and not when they were 7? Sure I get that guys also wear different clothes and I do find it hilariously ridiculous when some dude wears jeans that the belt line is at his knees and he can't even walk straight. Maybe I should redirect this topic to a forum so people can further discuss this... By the way, keep in mind that there is a rhetorical aspect to this question...
Backfiring and cold natured '89 Suzuki 750 Intruder?
I just bought a 1989 Suzuki VS750GLP Intruder, repaired after sitting a long time. I have two problems. * The first is that it is very cold natured; it will not start easily in the "cold" of Houston (40s). When it gets warmer, it will start. * The second is backfiring on deceleration, even between shifts. The mechanic said the felt bushings at the carb butterfly valve were dry allowing air to get sucked, which he wet with WD-40. "Ride the hell out of it" to get it moist and stay that way. Plus, I should always start the bike with full choke. (I smell gas when it isn't starting.) Also, my bike has aftermarket pipes to exhaust the same right side. Mechanic says I'll always get backfiring because of this. My questions: * Do you think the cold start and backfiring are related? * I hear that backfiring can be caused by bad exhaust gaskets making the engine run too lean. Are these the head gaskets we are talking about? * Mechanic full of BS? TIA for your helpful replies.