"Doesn't discussion and debate assume that someone/ everyone is going, at ome point, to reconsider their own position in the light of what others say?"

Hahahahahaaa... and that's sad... I have never encountered more of the opposite than in this here Café. Yes, it's sad, almost unbearable at times. Makes ya wanna reach out and smack em. I am sure that if people acted thusly in a 3D social setting they would get a smack eventually or simply be shunned. Of course, "don't feed the trolls" comes to mind but sometimes ya just gotta say "Fuck off asshole."... in a polite way, if possible. (Yeah, I know... I do it far too often.)