I created this entry specifically to inform any whom this may concern that, in case we had been involved in any kind of argument in the forums and I eventually stopped replying, that is simply because unfortunately we've come to a point where you no longer gave me reason to respect your judgement.
That can happen for many reasons, remarkably not just for the potential invalidity of your arguments, but above all for any unwillingness to make concessions when they are due and just, for general displays of disrespect, contempt, folly, pedantry and pretension, and when it becomes clear that for all intents and purposes the debate will achieve nothing useful. Of couse, I'm using the word "debate" here very liberally.
Therefore, when any of those occur, I will have no problem in turning away. I only bestow the benefit of a reply where and while I feel it will not have been a waste of time and sound reasoning.
Common sense notwithstanding, cordiality is also important and it tells me a lot about a person, not only how willing they are to have their opinion challenged in a productive manner but also how secure they are of that opinion. When I disagree with someone I do so politely and I expect the same civility in return. If this simple requirement is not met, I will leave a debate without batting an eye. And collaterally of course, any shred of respect I might have had for the person will be inevitably lost (although I'm sure that won't bother them, as such people usually carry their own comfort).
Another let-down that will definitely make me leave a discussion is if what I write in my posts is chopped up and deliberately removed from context to suit someone's ludicrous claims. If you've been long enough in the forums perhaps you noticed there are some users who have the habit of selecting and quoting small excerpts of posts out of the context in which they were carefully placed. By doing this, they can then twist the other's intentions and original meaning to suit their own claims, to the point where there's no longer any communication or reasonable exchange. If you are one of these people I discourage you to do this: note that it not only disrupts the logical course of a discussion but it also calls your understanding of carefully constructed arguments into serious question.
People who do this are easy enough to spot: they talk much but they will usually say nothing significant. Their posture in every argument is a relative one instead of absolute, because their discourse is based on simple-minded opposition and not on the real substance of the argument. That means they don't know how to counterargue objectively because they're just there to disagree arbitrarily. You can usually find them spamming forum threads with these ridiculously long posts and endless chains of de-contextualised quotes. It's easy to trap them with words, just as it's easy for them to lose composure when confronted or effectively cornered. Sometimes it can be amusing at first to observe their inconsistency as they struggle to build a valid point, often contradicting themselves along the way, but that fun quickly loses its charm. Also, and most notably, they will do their best to speak for last, and frankly I don't see why we shouldn't let the poor devils have their cookie and set off to their next brawl.
As for me, I am always the first to admit when I am wrong, and I always feel good about it. Not only because that means I just gained some wisdom and broadened my horizons, but also because I did it with dignity. You have to know when to concede, otherwise you'll be the most ridiculous of fools, which is the obstinate kind. "Losing" an argument with dignity is in truth far more admirable than "winning" one. So, again, I'm using the word "losing" here with reserve, as nothing is lost in such an outcome, quite the contrary.
Finally, why did I write all of this here?
Simply to provide some closure to these situations, however uncertain that those concerned will read this and even less that they would understand it (after all, if there was any hope for that I'd probably still be chatting with them). This then, will have to do.
I usually do my best to pursue a healthy debate as long as I believe some measure of wisdom will be gained in the end, for all involved, but I am not the Patron Saint of Lost Causes nor is it in my nature to waste time with pointless bickering, especially on internet forums. Some people are just looking for a squabble, that's all. Stay away from those fools, they are on the margin of civilization.
~~~ In that respect, here is some additional food for thought: ~~~
"It would be easier to endow a fool with intellect than to persuade him that he had none."
- Jacques Babinet
"A fool can no more see his own folly than he can see his ears."
- William Thackeray
"Of all thieves, fools are the worst; they rob you of time and temper."
- Goethe
"The wise man has his follies no less than the fool; but it has been said that herein lies the difference,--the follies of the fool are known to the world, but are hidden from himself; the follies of the wise are known to himself, but hidden from the world."
- Charles Caleb Colton
"[Fools] talk much, and what they have once uttered they will stick to."
- Sir Arthur Helps
"The learned fool writes his nonsense in better language than the unlearned, but it is still nonsense."
- Benjamin Franklin
"A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool, usually has his suspicions."
- Wilson Mizner
"He must be a thorough fool who can learn nothing from his own folly."
- A.W. and J.C. Hare
"Fools learn nothing from wise men, but wise men learn much from fools."
- Johann Kaspas Lavater
"To the fool-king belongs the world."
- Friedrich von Schiller
"You pity a man who is lame or blind, but you never pity him for being a fool, which is often a much greater misfortune."
- Sydney Smith
 True Manticore · Wed Jul 14, 2010 @ 05:48pm · 0 Comments |
