Wikipedia:Be pragmatic
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: In a dispute, do your best to take a step back and take the long view. |
When in a dispute about anything from article content to deletion to policy, it is dangerously easy to fall into one-sided, partisan discourse. Everyone is guilty of this to some degree, but the important thing is to remember to, when necessary, take a step back and be pragmatic. Take the long view – what is best for the reader?
Even if you don't always follow the advice in this essay – no-one is perfect – bear it mind, and perhaps point others to it.
In deletion discussions
editWhen writing a !vote in a deletion discussion, ensure you aren't distracted by partisan inclusionist/deletionist views, or by annoyance, spite, etc. This may seem obvious, but sometimes it's important to take a step back and ask yourself what you think is best for the reader. It's okay to be inconsistent, even if it might seem hypocritical. Opinions and views change over time. If you see a user !voting delete at one discussion, then !keep at another, later, discussion, don't accuse them of hypocrisy. Thank them for their honesty, if anything.
In other contexts
editInfoboxes, fair use media, notability guidelines, and many other topics are areas where it is easy to fall into a partisan yes/no trench.
It is important in many of these contexts not to generalize. While it is easy to make statements like "fair use media does not belong in this encyclopedia", "every article should have an infobox" or "all species articles are de facto notable", try to avoid doing so. Be moderate. Take things case by case, and consider items on their own merits and problems. Bold generalizations about an issue will likely only get you in trouble later on.
Userboxes
editUserboxes stating sweeping generalizations about issues are not uncommon. It is important to, firstly, not necessarily take these at face value; userboxes are usually brief and almost certainly do not represent the nuances of a user's opinion. Secondly, consider customizing your userboxes, instead of taking a standard template. Write, perhaps, "This user think most articles should have infoboxes", and so on. Be moderate, and reasonable.