I know I can across both too intense and way too much. Maybe there should be a thread where we could think about how we are influencing the forums?
It's very easy to influence feelings but far more challenging to influence ideas. Scripture tells us that it is not a small undertaking to become a teacher and considering the condition of the current educational system all the way up to post-grad, I don't think this is limited to only scriptural lessons, but I'd think that it applies to any assertions of, what I'd call, the proverbial weapon, the sword, the truth.
Periodically, the thought keeps recurring, ever since I was called to the school auditorium for a FTA club pic to be included in that yearbook, if I should take up that profession, even though I'd never 'officially' joined the club and was only affiliated by having been asked to be a student tutor.
However, I often find myself thinking that people don't like me, because that's how I "feel," and there's probably some merit to that except that I wonder if it's rather a nose wrinkle at why I said what I've said then what I've actually said, if there is any element of truth in it, that is.
In another thread that I considered replying to with a scripture that came to mind,
@enril posed a question, something like, "who'd want to kick themselves in the (girded up loins). And indeed, Job was letting his hang loosely when God advised him to gird them up and prepare for the wallop that He was about to administer.
So, if the truth smarts in comparison to the soft strokes of duplicity, it is only to strengthen you when the other is typically meant to disarm you.