Perhaps it's because I'm a lawyer, but I regard everything as a negotiation. Successful negotiation requires assessing the needs of the person on the other side of the table and trying to construct a solution that can meet those needs while satisfying your own. I use this approach both professionally and personally, and I find it works very well.
Approaching negotiation in this fashion requires, first and foremost, listening to the other side and understanding the other side's position. I've demonstrated, many times, that I can do this and, indeed, have changed (or, at least, moderated) my views in response to input from FTers who hold positions different from my own. It's one of the reasons that, despite being an "OMNIlib," I count as FT friends many "OMNIcons."
Accordingly, I'd encourage all FTers, not necessarily to keep an open mind, to make an effort to understand that rationales that underlie positions contrary to their own. As a TalkBoard member, I'd work to find solutions that accommodate all sides of an issue. Though it's become a cliche, I believe there is almost always a "win-win" solution to any problem.