Giving merit to people when you don't agree with them

[KingsDen]

Imo, it is easier for me to merit someone of opposite view. This is because, at the course of stretching the debate, I would learn new things from my opposer than from someone who just said I agree with you. If you are agreeing with me, you agree by adding or spicing my thoughts.
Also it depends on the authenticity of my opposers view.
One cannot be debating blindly and I will award him merit because he is toeing the opposite lane.

In either way, it narrows down to what I achieved in your support or counter support.

[Timelord2067]

Most of the merit fonts are gang members who long ago closed ranks and collectively agreed who to give or withold merits to.

If one gang member finds a reason to disagree with you (perceived or imaginary disagreements) you will notice some, then all gang member's merit sources will withhold merits.

Once you're ignored by them, you won't receive any further merits.  If you were to press one such gang member, they would either say they didn't see your post, or that it didn't warrent a merit.

The merit system is flawed due to its centralisation.

[Pmalek]

I often merit users who prove me wrong or correct the mistakes I made in my posts. I never had any problems with that because it shows they are paying attention and they take action when they believe it's needed. I don't have problems with opposing views or if someone doesn't agree with me. Even opposing views can make sense and both sides can be right. 

If the opposite side has a better solution to a problem about Bitcoin or the forum, all the power to them. They might even get me to switch sides. But if the ultimate goal is a selfish one, I wont support that.   

[sam00]

I try to be objective when giving away the sMerits I have earned. If someone has a different opinion it is obviously hard to reward them for their post. However, being proven wrong or being corrected by another user is usually informative and in a lot of cases merit worthy.

An example of me giving out merit for someone correcting/disagreeing with me

The dedication to apply for a lower spot impresses me, good luck

What dedication?
For your information, applying for a lower spot isn't something special or unusual. There are many people also doing it. I assume it is not the first time you saw a member applying for a lower rank spot. So, in my opinion, no need to give a special appreciation.

[NeuroticFish]

Do you find it hard to merit people when you don't agree with what they are saying? I'm not talking about a small disagreement here, rather about completely opposite points of view.

If one can convince me good that I'm the one that's wrong, then he deserves merit, but then it's no longer what you asked since at the point of meriting I already agree with him/her.
On the other hand, if one cannot convince me, I am almost certain I won't merit. It's not worthy. And I think that this is what basically anybody would do.

[suchmoon]

On the other hand, if one cannot convince me, I am almost certain I won't merit. It's not worthy. And I think that this is what basically anybody would do.

I doubt the "anybody" part. I would certainly merit a well-made argument even if I don't agree with the opponent. I would not merit fake facts - whether lies or delusions - if I can detect that when I read the post but I won't go out of my way fact-checking either (nor should merit be considered as confirmation/support/approval/endorsement/etc but that's a whole other story).

[Kittygalore]

If the disagreement lead to a healthy and worthy discussion then probably you're going to be doing the right thing meriting them, think of it like a debate, you commend people when you know that they fought good and pointed valid arguments right? I think it's the same for this one.

[actmyname]

If properly used, accounts meriting posts shouldn't care about agreeableness.

However, there is a natural bias towards threads you enjoy. Especially polarizing content might cause you to agree with an opposing opinion, but it's far more likely that you'll read five posts that you agree with before you read one post that changes your mind. It's a matter of where you draw the line at "quality".

And sure, users can claim to be objective when they grant merit, but that's under their subjective model of what it means to be objective. But if you spend your time in sections and threads that you frequent or that interest you, what are the odds that you'll find disagreeable information? Or rather, good information at all?

Even jokes, shitposts, thank yous and self-congratulations get merit. Who's to say that my picture of a clip art fart isn't deserving of 50 merit when analyzed in the correct context, framing, and cultural perspective?

I wonder whether how much the odds change from before and after the 'disagreeable' posts are given merit.

[tranthidung]

I wonder whether how much the odds change from before and after the 'disagreeable' posts are given merit.

Agreeable or disagreeable posts, if the discussion is good, has excellent quality, those posts deserve to have merits.

- Highlighting good posts with the "Merited by" line.

While we will not be directly moderating this, I encourage people to give merit to posts that are objectively high-quality, not just posts that you agree with.

The funny fact (and also shameful) about merit distribution is after a few years (3 ^1/2 years), there are more posts were given merit just because they like it. Nothing is bad with it if the senders don't abuse this shameful fact to build up their reputation, and abuse their sourced merits.

Another shameful fact, is after getting reputation from this behavior, such source comes back and say newbies are ass-licking.

I was struggling to earn my very first merits so I know how hard it is. Over time, it becomes easier for newbies and nobody cares how merit distribution was abused under the mask of likes.

[UmerIdrees]

Merit is not a matter of agree or disagree. Rather it's all about quality. If I find a post high quality from my point of view, I would merit that post regardless of whether I agree or don't. That should not be an issue while meriting I think. However, a lot of people share merit just because they agree.

OP is not talking about quality posts etc. He is saying that if two people are discussing something and one does not agree to the other person point of view, will he ever give him merit ?

If i was in such discussion, i would not give the merit to the person who has different option and is not agreeing with me. but if he proofs himself right and can convince me that his point of view is right, then for sure i will give him Merits.

[ifarted]

Everyone has different points of views and different judgements. I think that it is right that he/she who posts in a thread that has a point deserves merit because if you have given other user a merit that posts low quality post it'll be unfair to others who tried so hard to think and did their best to give you a lend of a hand by creating high quality post.

I'm still a newbie but if i were to give merits, i would choose those people who work so hard that puts effort in their post. It doesn't matter if the post is long or short as long as it has point, i'll give them if i have something to give.