The truth is that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. On the interwebz, banning and muting are as close to this as is possible on most platforms, but on Steem we have flags. In the real world, every single human being alive disagrees with every other person about something. Society depends on restraint, and violence results from incapability to refrain from imposing on others. I have a very good friend in meatspace that I have learned a great deal from, but who is incapable of restraint on certain topics, which I have learned to simply not discuss in order to maintain our friendship, which I dearly value. You and I disagree on many issues, but I deeply respect your integrity and underlying purpose, which I value very highly.

"If we can't discuss the things we deem important in our lives, then we are probably not good friends after all."

Because I refrain from resorting to efforts to impose my views on you, I am able to learn from you, and your differing positions have enabled me to reconsider my own and change my mind. It is perhaps criticism I value most highly in discourse, and your differences from my own positions have been fundamental to helping me to become more factually correct. It is not out of some sense of superiority and benevolent tolerance that I do so, but humble recognition of my own fallibility, and a purely selfish recognition that you have much to teach me.

Thanks!