Quote:
Originally Posted by aqua0
Just wondering!
Why can't people just argue intelligently and rationally? Is it because they don't know how to?
Sure someone's viewpoint might seem ridiculous to you, if not horrendous, but they deserve respect just the same, even as you argue against it.
Do you think you resort to belittling or putdowns or attacks when you respond to a thread you dislike?
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People tend to resort to belittling and other
ad hominem attacks as a means of hiding the fact that they don't have a real response to a particular issue with which they disagree, its a means of drawing attention away from the substantive aspects of debate and a means of undermining the person arguing against them without addressing the arguments themselves. Ad hominem attacks have no place in real debates; we should always strive to maintain a degree of civility if we want to be taken seriously. I, for one, have a very difficult time taking people seriously when they resort to immature attacks regardless of whether they are taking my side in a debate or not.
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