Why do people put TOO much emphasis on things that don't matter?

Question

I am of the opinion that people place way too much emphasis on things just to keep a religious debate going. If one is opposed to religion, then why does that person constantly rear issues involving religion?

Example:
"Why do we have to call our pictures either avatars or icons when both have religious implications?"

Additional details (1):
"No, Seeker, I'm not kidding.
An icon is a devotional image for Christians.
In Hinduism, an avatar is a diety descended to earth in bodily form."

Additional Details (2):
"Seeker, I am suitably impressed with your understanding of the relevant etymology, but I am not concverned with etymology, I am concerned with what the words mean in the English language today.
If you think they have no religious implications then it's you who's being conned and it's you who's conning you."

Maybe I'm wrong here but i feel that we should all be more concerned with etymology than with what is current. It our disassociation from etymology that has caused people to be overly concerned about things that just don't matter.

If people continue to place such trivial issues as our little icons and avatars at the center of their religious or non-religious feelings, who is it that is actually being conned?

ICON:
From Greek eikn, from eikenai, to be like, seem
~Not necessarily religious in nature.

AVATAR:
An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype: the very avatar of cunning.
~You don't always have to put a religious conotation to every little thing.

Am I wrong in feeling that this is a bogus issue or am I really the one being conned by society?

billyandgaby - you're right, everything is relative and that's the motto i live by - but don't people realise that this is exactly what is wrong in the world? people place emphasis on such little things that cause such mass destruction. shouldn't we all just go back and realise the originality of that thing that truly means anything, whatever that thing may be? just my opinion again.

Answer 1

some people really need to relax - the word is not as important as what we mean by them. they need to just get over it

Answer 2

I think people place emphasis on what they're told to by the media. We're told who are the good guys and who are the bad ones, we're told who to be afraid of and how to look and ultimately most of what we're told to do is connected to trying to get our money.

Get me to a desert island as soon as possible.

Answer 3

It's called ugly english, and it's the practice of giving too much depth to a phrase, word, or statement.

Answer 4

If you can find Roberta Flaks first Album.."First Take" there's a song on it...called "Trying To Make It Real Compared To What"?

Says it all...everybody is trying to make it real but compared to what?

Answer 5

I guess some things matter more to some of us than to others. It's all perspective. Trivia to one is really crucial to another.

We all have different points of reference and priorities.

Answer 6

Maybe you should change the question to "Why do people put TOO much emphasis on things that don't matter TO ME?"

Answer 7

maybe it matters to thm

Problems are relative.

you complain about a broken finger nail, I complain about a missing arm

you complain you haven;t eaten since noon,

I complain I havent eaten since last week

It all relative

Answer 8

shut up. i couldnt even read all the way through because my stupidi-nese decoder broke.

avatars and icons being religoius??? ever heard of a SYYNONYM???

idiot.get a damn dictionary.

Answer 9

Because they haven't learned to ignore and not to sweart the small sh*t

Answer 10

Uh!!!!!