The problem I've always seen with any kind of serious discussion both irl and online, is that  people don't go into a discussion with the intention of learning whether or not they're wrong, to most people a discussions is just a method of preaching and confirmation bias.

Now over the past year I've learned to see the world from a rigorous, mathematically logical perspective; that is, I try to break every idea down to it's most fundamental axioms, and only use logically valid arguments to draw further implications from those axioms. Because of this is I am always willing to admit that any concept, any implications, any idea on which I base my views, can be proven wrong in a systematic way, and that those ideas should be discarded in favor of ones that can be proven correct. I am not quite at the level where I could convey all the subtleties of this method, so I can only ask that you pick up a book on mathematical logic and see where it takes you.

What I'm getting at is that the only way you could stand to gain unique and useful insights from discussions, is if you either used this method or one that is logically equivalent to it, because anything else just leads to soapboxing and straw-manning and just nothing productive. And before you say it this isn't me trying to claim that I'm smarter than anyone here, the only agenda I push is that mathematics is not boring, and that the world is far more interesting once you understand it.

I mean just looking over this board I already see people talking at eachother, not with eachother. There's no goddamn point to being here if we're not going to try and understand where eachother's ideas come from, and there's no point in preaching your own ideas if you yourself can't reconstruct them all from starting axioms.

So what exactly are you trying to get out your discussions?

it's fun and engaging, even when not done properly

Well if we're being honest, I'm just getting attention I don't have irl.

If we're blurring considerably, it's because I want to get to know "interesting people"

If I'm really bullshitting... Because I find people interesting.

I hardly converse with anyone on Serious or in a "serious" way because it's often not necessary. I perceive things similarly that people posit generalizations and take basic arguments as wholesale facts and I'm not interested in most issues discussed. Also, I'm pretty soft-skinned, so staying out of the line of fire to hide my own ignorance is one way of preserving my pride.

There's also the serious circle jerk. Some users have greater social capital as recognized and appropriated thinkers even when their arguments are dubious. Moreover, the language sometimes used to discredit people is more indicative of talking at someone, as you previously stated, rather than conducting something constructive for both parties.

Occasionally, in rare instances, I learn something about myself. I'm more open here, obviously, than in person. This place provides me with the vital human interaction I need to accurately figure myself out. I've learned some important things about myself here, and actually applied myself to what I learned.

Secondly, there's always some new angle to learn.

Thirdly, the discussions here actually give me a lot of things to think about as I go about my day. You find that in mundane work like cutting firewood all day, you have a quaintly quiet opportunity to tune into your thoughts and immerse yourself in your own little bubble. Often, what I discuss here stays with me all day.

And fourth, it gives me a slight measure of comfort to know that I'm not alone out there in the world with some other people who have similar lines of thought. Not to sound pretentious, or even spiteful, but I'm surrounded by fucking morons. I could never, EVER, hope to have any conversations with 99% of the people around me like I do here.

To explain something or to learn something  new. It may not seem like it after a heated discussion, but I don't think anybody can think straight if tensions are running high.

All my discussions are on the "shits and giggles" basis.