My posts are far more composed than I usually manage with my spoken words. The odd thing is that I couldn't even tell you if I could pull off the same lucidity through spoken dialogue.

I almost always dumb down my speech, especially concerning philosophy, for my audience. I honestly have extremely limited face-to-face encounters with anyone who I can genuinely discuss philosophical topics with.

You should come to Austin. I have finally found a group of people who can generally keep up with any level of eloquence, spoken or otherwise.

I think the filter between my brain and my mouth is broken the same way that the filter between my brain and fingers is broken.

The responses I post here are almost identical to my responses in person. I know this because I often discuss topics from the forum in RL conversation with friends. I am also not one to let a verbal conversation overtake me. If I need time to think about something, I will tell the person that I need a moment to think about it. This ussually results in an uncomfortable (for them) pause until I can collect my thoughts but does not ususally take that much time. I DO think that written text allows for a more in depth answer as you have the ability to highlight items in a specific way but I also think that vocal gives you the option of inflection which can often be important for proving a point.

Wow. I envy your confidence. I hope you dont take it for granted. I can hardly focus half the time on what subject is on the table before it shifts. Alot of the time though with philosophy its hard to shift from street vernaculars and quick wit too in depth discussion with reflection. To abide or feel comfortable in either one most of the time doesn't work for me. Balancing the two is mentally difficult and tiring but the challenge is enlightening.

Just wanted to add a little observation, and I think it's significant nobody noticed that until now: not all are native english-speaking here! In writing I can think about the "right word" as long as I need, in (english) speach I often have to compromise between speed and accuracy. Often resulting in hm "bad thinking", to say the least. Please see the world, folks.

I often wondered if the dialog would be largely different if we had to speak to one another face to face... through skype for example. In written form we have more time to think and calculate vs. debating in real time. What is better?

I mean if we were on the street and a Christian for example stops us to share the gospel; we would act very different from writing a reply to a thread.

Some people on here are just amazing thinkers! I mean brilliant. I really enjoy reading Aedes posts for example.

Your thoughts?!

Thanks to you too, my friend . Yes, I would feel more confident to talk about "philosophical matters" , whether written or in speech, if I could do that in my own native language (dutch). It's clear that each of us has a much more extended vocabulary in our native language, while at the same time being more aware of the many shades of significance of each word, of their many emotional and cultural aspects, etc. Some gentle people have told me that my english is almost perfect. I personally feel my english discourse often as a bit strange to myself, just lacking the directness, subtleness, suggestivity that I can bring in a dutch discourse. So much in english I cannot express, so much that escapes me... But I'm learning a lot here...

Oh, just a suggestion. Why not make a little corner where those who are multilingual could have a little discussion in french, or german, or whatever. Sharing the handicap so to speak. Alors les am?ricains, qui est d'accord?