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> If I disagree with you, I'll challenge your ideas. I'll challenge your thinking. I'll debate you. I will not attempt to silence you. The fact that fewer and
by xienze 12y ago
> If I disagree with you, I'll challenge your ideas. I'll challenge your thinking. I'll debate you. I will not attempt to silence you.
The fact that fewer and fewer people online think this way is what makes me think twice about saying anything. Once you say anything slightly outside the accepted progressive viewpoint on Touchy Subject X, here comes the downvote and "you're a horrible human being" brigade. Online debate is effectively dead, and it's a shame.
- jdmichal 12y ago> Online debate is effectively dead, and it's a shame. Debate in pretty much any form has been dead for a long time. Few people know how to debate properly, and simply introduce fallacy after fallacy into the discussion. For instance, you cited appeal to emotion, maybe more specifically appeal to pity depending on why "you're a horrible human being." Alternatively, they just constantly move the target. As soon as you address one point, they just move on to another without even acknowledging the previous point. Any attempt to pin them on that point will be addressed that you have "misunderstood" them, and what they are stating now is what they meant the entire time. The worst part is that this is all done, as best as I can tell, not even maliciously but almost subconsciously. Most likely, they have learned over their life that these methods produce results and so they continue to use them. (And by "results", I generally mean reinforcing their mental status quo, bonus points if they can vilify their opponent.)