I have changed my mind about so many many things since I have been frequenting forum cafes. In part by listening to 'another pov' sometimes seeing things from angles I had never even imagined before, sometimes that in order to answer a question I have been drawn to seriously research the facts of subjects that I had only had beliefs based on instinct or emotion before. True that I come from a different culture and came into this 'world' with certain perceptions, perceptions which have often been proved untrue to me in interacting with those who inhabit this 'world', those who have generously taken me into it or if my mind has not changed I have come to a more rounded and non-judgmental ( for all my aggression
) understanding of it.
If I had not been so generously accepted by Slate/PJ posters, and been allowed to - from being rather inarticulate, unpracticed/undisciplined in articulating or even forming my thoughts, I would not now being doing a degree in Law - I would be rather a sad figure I suspect - one who had not dared to explore her mind and academic ability.
I don't know how much you know of the concept of equality within the ancient temples but, though we may not do it justice and it is, if you understand the concept, ironic that politics be our subject, equality in forum society is akin to the ancient concept of it - no matter our standing in life or our ability to articulate we are equal in here -which is what I love most about it.
And if you insist on using masterbation as a metaphor - we could also have quite a conversation about that too - from East to West and spirituality and etc But I suspect what you are saying is that no one ever opens their minds - I disagree if only in that we do open up to each other to some degree or another, not necessarily political.