He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument. ~ Chinese Proverb (according to the internet)

He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument. ~ Chinese Proverb (according to the internet)

I have to remind myself of this from time to time. Every once in a while you get into an argument or a discussion where the other party just refuses to see facts and evidence but will make every argument they can to try and prove their point.

I recently had a G+ conversation where someone is claiming I'm a flip-flopper due to the discussion on Zimmerman and Florida laws. Note, neither of us are lawyers.

I made my point in the argument by citing this and that are in affect under certain parameters.

Someone else came back and made another argument, thus changing the parameters.

I agreed. If the parameters of the scenario are changed then it's this or that.

Suddenly I'm a flip-flopper (which brings to mind images of Romney and I am definitely no Romney).

Anywho, I got to the point where I wanted to reach through the computer and hit the guy. Because, well, he is right and everyone else is wrong. No matter what evidence or discussion takes place. It was like talking to a religious fanatic. I'm right because I'm right and you're wrong because I'm right. seemed to be the gist of his argument.

Very annoying and now I'm annoyed with G+. maybe I'll come back later, but for now I'm signing off before I take it out on someone else.

Comments

oh, some people have the gift of driving you crazy... there is now and always there will be.
After a while I simply block them. The feeling of silence straight after is something with no price.
Jason ON said…
So, today the conversation went on and each time he nit-picked at my points never once addressing the conversation. And of course, when i called him on his desire to nit-pick me in lieu of actually contributing to the conversation I was apparently playing the victim card.

Some of you have known me since Buzz. Do I ever play the victim card? Ever?

I finally just muted the post after informing him that I was going to. I told him it wasn't worth talking to him since he had nothing to say. Heck, the more I think of it, he reminds me of a guy I know in Denver who never has anything to contribute to a conversation but always has criticisms of the conversation.
Steve Ruge said…
It wasn't me, I swear.
Jason ON said…
It wasn't you. The guy's not in my Circles. We were arguing on someone else's post.
Jason ON said…
So, on another post someone posted, I responded and this same stuff happened.

Original post was about the irony that seatbelts are required in cars but not buses, specifically for children and school buses.

My response was simple: buses are safer than your average family vehicle. A bus is less likely to suffer damage from being hit by a Civic than a Suburban is. I also noted that until motorcycle helmets were mandatory in all 50 states seatbelts shouldn't be either.

One guy called me a degenerate child because I wouldn't agree that seatbelts are safer, even on buses, and another told me my argument wasn't valid because I don't live in Canada. Canada never came up except when the same guy talked about some really twisty roads near where he lives.

Grrrr! Have people lost the ability to have a conversation? And of course, I'm already fucking annoyed at someone else so my responses weren't the friendliest.
Steve Ruge said…
Wow Jason the circles you associate with. LOL. I like the Canada exemption - a hidden card trick! And a degenerate child - wow. Who knew seat belt arguments could get so heated?!

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