Exaggerations don’t make good arguments

Feb 07, 2005 12:12

I read something I had to comment on. A person made a remark along the lines of “dedication to something is admirable”. Apparently, that was construed as a compliment towards the subject of the entry, something the writer didn’t want to hear, because said subject was an ex. Thus, the retort was made, “The Nazi’s were determined, but that doesn’t ( Read more... )

human nature

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ayvah February 7 2005, 22:26:04 UTC
Hitler was a vegetarian; therefore all vegetarians are evil.

But I think that Nazi arguments (at least of that creed) are listed on that "list of stupid ways to win an argument on the Internet" or something. I'd like to know where that list has gone now.

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kayay February 8 2005, 03:54:31 UTC
Exactly! I found this list:
  • Get drunk
    You will have strong views about the issues, even the ones you don't know nothing about. In the worst scenario at least you think yourself that you outwitted others lefthanded.
  • Make things up
    Use exact figures shaked off from the sleeve. Invent your references also on the fly. It's very impressing to have more figures than Al Gore: "No, I don't think so. According to National Social Security Study addressed to Congress April 24th 1996 dr. CJ Willeford proves that during the period of 1992-1994 there were only 230 450 cases of welfare frauds resulting the loss of $1 043 500 for the federal state."
  • Apply heavy usage of Latin and intellectual words
    Poor: "Things are bad."
    Better: "The formative mechanism of culture amounts to a reification of human activities which fixates the living and models the transmission of experience from one generation to another on the transmission of commodities; a reification which strives to ensure the past's domination over the future."
  • Play nazi card ( ... )

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ayvah February 8 2005, 09:10:24 UTC
Not the one I've read, but possibly better.

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