Thoughts on Dissent

There are two ways people voice their opinions. One is independently, as a thought strikes them and is then deeply pondered upon.
Or as a voice of assent or dissent to an opinion expressed by another.
There are two reasons I have found for this voiced assent or dissent.
One, when it's deeply against one's intrinsic beliefs and value system, one feels one can and should justify one's stance, in the light of one's value system. Fairly and logically.
That's honest and appreciated. Deeply.

The other is a deeply held bias, for a particular position, and the problem happens when another voice strikes a blow to that long held opinion or belief, deeply shaking it to its very core, or at least striking a dissonant note by a blow of calm logic.
Now if said stance is deeply and emotionally embedded but the rationale for it is flimsy, it still will shake the person unpleasantly since so much has been invested in it emotionally.
So the very reasons that gives a person pause for thought, can make him shout out against that very thought.
I have met one or two over the last few years who periodically and unfailingly emerge from the woodworks, (metaphorically speaking), only to unravel the threads of my "annoying" arguments. At times, they resort to unfair practices like misquoting me. And at others, they edit their own arguments post facto to match and outwit my counter argument.
(One I had previously delivered after reading what they had written.) :)
For these sort of dissenters I'm at a loss. I thank them for the time they expend in reading or dissecting me and my thoughts and sincerely hope they can free up their own made up minds to seek a more perfect balance to both sides of the equation.
It's maths folks not faith.
For all of varying religious persuasions, "while the soul slumbers, God speaks to us in numbers." ;)