Lexy,

You are a valuable player and I love to read your posts.  Don't take criticism of an idea to mean that "you" are the one being criticized.  There is a HUGE difference between the two, even though we can get heated and say things that aren't meant quite the way they sound.  I call people "morons" all of the time (like those that believe in astrology, for example).  It's almost required of those in my profession to do so, but do I REALLY think those people are "morons" in the turest sense of the word? Wellllllllll......... no not really.  The IDEA is moronic and they have been duped by the idea. 

What I am trying to say is that the terms "hit" and "abuse" and many others are, themselves, abused.  When it comes to criticizing an idea, belief system or anyTHING else, you are not being "hit."  The idea, maybe, but certainly not you!  Talk is cheap and is, for all intenst and purposes, weightless.  Don't give it any more weight than it has...... which is about zero.

Hey, I've been to conferences and my hypothesis have been TORN APART by scientists in my field..... IN PUBLIC!  The very public that I respect the most.  Now, it just so happens, that my hypothesis passed muster, so to speak, but I had to have a pretty thick skin to get through the "peer review."  Get through it, I did, however!  If my idea was total crap, they wouldn't have respected me one bit less...... as long as I was intellectually honest, rational and logical.  The only "scientists" that get hammered are those that don't display those traits..... you know what I mean?

Display those traits and you might have your ideas torn asunder....... but YOU will retain the respect that you worked hard to earn!

Did that come across a bit better?  By the way, that "peer review" happened once again at a conference I attended very recently.  I must have elephant hide (and I was right, according to all available evidence) because I took a five hour grilling AFTER my 3 hour presentation!  Ugghhhh!