That's not fair to pedestrians or other cyclists who can be injured by your decision to break the law and ignore their safety.

Why do I only see this phrase when someone is blaming cyclists? I bike everywhere but I'm not an "avid cyclist", it's just a tool for getting around. What is there to be "avid" about?

I suspect it's from people who think of cycling primarily as a sport or pastime, not a practical mode of transport.

>If you choose to blow through the stop sign because it "looks safe", you should bear the full responsibility for that decision

This is the "you're holding it wrong" mindset, where something doesn't work right, and people are blamed for not contorting themselves around it. If it looks safe, but isn't safe, then that's a problem with the road, not the people who use it. It should be redesigned.

4-way stop signs are stupid, there are better alternatives like roundabouts. UK and Europe have hardly any stop signs.

wholeheartedly agree, and just in general there are too many stop signs in the US;

but what's needed for cars going at 40-50 Mph is different than what's needed for cyclists who have the time to look both ways without necessarily having to come to a full stop (just like pedestrians crossing the road at places other than a crosswalk).