You can't win that argument

[BrokenR1 0]

http://lifehacker.com/5811255/why-you-cant-win-an-argument-on-the-internet

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Adam Dachis — No matter who you are, you've likely spent some amount of time arguing online with someone you just couldn't believe was incapable of accepting the truth. That may have been because they were susceptible to something called the backfire effect, or so were you.

According to author David McRaney's post on the subject, we have a tendency to believe things even more when our beliefs are challenged. The basic idea comes from how we handle negative information versus positive information:
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A thousand positive remarks can slip by unnoticed, but one "you suck" can linger in your head for days. One hypothesis as to why this and the backfire effect happens is that you spend much more time considering information you disagree with than you do information you accept. Information which lines up with what you already believe passes through the mind like a vapor, but when you come across something which threatens your beliefs, something which conflicts with your preconceived notions of how the world works, you seize up and take notice. Some psychologists speculate there is an evolutionary explanation. Your ancestors paid more attention and spent more time thinking about negative stimuli than positive because bad things required a response. Those who failed to address negative stimuli failed to keep breathing.

McRaney points to several studies showing how people are willing to completely ignore scientific proof that their beliefs are wrong. Hit the link below for the full post; it's information worth keeping in mind next time you find yourself in an online brawl.

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Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art.

[Gravitymaster 0]

This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe. Nice try.

[winsor 186]

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This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe. Nice try.

Maybe, but it's spot-on. Frankly, I think left-wing and right-wing hogwash is equally subject to this effect.

The more completely nonsensical is one's standpoint, the more likely it is that one will adhere to it with increasing tenacity when it is pointed out.

The moment you introduce "belief" into the equation, you have entered the realm of emotion over intellect. You may or not be right, but that has precisely nothing to do with whether or not you believe something.

Give me skeptics every time.


BSBD,

Winsor

[GeorgiaDon 340]

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This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe.

Really? Did you read the linked studies? Did you read this one? It's been my experience that it's very difficult to get most people, regardless of their political leanings, to change their mind once it's "made up", no matter how many facts are presented.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[Amazon 7]

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This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe.

Really? Did you read the linked studies? Did you read this one? It's been my experience that it's very difficult to get most people, regardless of their political leanings, to change their mind once it's "made up", no matter how many facts are presented.

Don

Face it Don... ya just cain't fix stoooopid

[wmw999 2,122]

A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Niki1 1]

I've heard a person say, "My mind is made up/ Don't confuse me with the facts." That's when I came to understand, "Don't argue wiith an idiot. People might not notice the difference."

Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossilbe before they were done.
Louis D Brandeis

Where are we going and why are we in this basket?

[rehmwa 2]

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A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

which has nothing to do with Speaker's Corner which is:

1 - comprised of insulting delivery of
2 - one indoctrinated and subjective belief system vs other indoctrinated and subjective belief systems
3 - usually devoid of supporting evidence for the first rather
4 - comprised of juvenile bashing of the others based on outlyer anecdotes and extrapolation of each's true position to the ridiculous
5 - and occasionally reference diarhhea from biased sources
6 - spattered with non sequitor nonsense and vitriol which usually moves from a sprinkling to 95% of the discourse

other than that, sure, it's great

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Amazon 7]

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A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

Wendy P.

Once the GOSPEL truth has been uttered from those pulpits.....and heard by the faithfull.... new evidence is heresy.

[popsjumper 2]

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A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

Wendy P.

Or, a level of maturity that recognizes the fact that one doesn't know everything.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[wmw999 2,122]

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Or, a level of maturity that recognizes the fact that one doesn't know everything

Oh no -- I still know everything. That's why I said "what might be new evidence."

Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[winsor 186]

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A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

Wendy P.

A willingness to question the fundamentals is key to understanding.

Every once in a while someone will come up with a scheme involving "perpetual motion" or "cold fusion," and the scientific world will dutifully attempt to verify the validity of the claims.

If it turns out that cold fusion is, in fact, viable, you will have people working on it immediately. It has nothing to do with "belief."

Admittedly, when working as a patent clerk, A. Einstein would routinely toss patent applications in the rubbish if they made claims of perpetual motion systems - but some presentations do not rise to a level worthy of serious consideration.


BSBD,

Winsor

[champu 1]

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A willingness to examine your beliefs in the presence of what might be new evidence is a sign of confidence in your abilities.

which has nothing to do with Speaker's Corner which is:

1 - comprised of insulting delivery of
2 - one indoctrinated and subjective belief system vs other indoctrinated and subjective belief systems
3 - usually devoid of supporting evidence for the first rather
4 - comprised of juvenile bashing of the others based on outlyer anecdotes and extrapolation of each's true position to the ridiculous
5 - and occasionally reference diarhhea from biased sources
6 - spattered with non sequitor nonsense and vitriol which usually moves from a sprinkling to 95% of the discourse

other than that, sure, it's great

Something I'll do on occasion is read posts I'm about to reply to twice through "aloud in my head." The first time with as much hate and anger as I can imagine the person having, and the second time as laid back and light-hearted as possible.

I cancel a lot of replies.

[billvon 2,400]

>A willingness to question the fundamentals is key to understanding.

Liberal tripe! Only a dogmatic defense of a position, reinforced by political discourse and well insulated from actual experience and experiment, can lead to proper understanding. Just ask Giordano Bruno if keeping an open mind is a good idea.

[rehmwa 2]

I find the most intensely argued stuff is the things that just don't have a real foundation one way or the other. It's just one person's 'preference' vs anothers.

But yeah - it's hard to 'hear' the tone of the poster with the written word.

With either point, this is just good clean fun to read.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[champu 1]

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I find the most intensely argued stuff is the things that just don't have a real foundation one way or the other. It's just one person's 'preference' vs anothers.

But yeah - it's hard to 'hear' the tone of the poster with the written word.

With either point, this is just good clean fun to read.

The most intensely argued stuff doesn't even actually contrast personal preferences. As noted in 4) from your list above, people usually argue against ridiculous extrapolations. Where it becomes particularly hilarious is when people don't even notice or pay attention to what or with whom they're arguing.

It's like watching that one really unpopular and short tempered kid play dodgeball.

[quade 3]

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This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe. Nice try.

Unlike some others here, I'm willing to believe you were making a joke.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rehmwa 2]

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people usually argue against ridiculous extrapolations. Where it becomes particularly hilarious is when people don't even notice or pay attention to what or with whom they're arguing.

that's ridiculous, you're just like that guy that killed all those people because he couldn't find a purple flavored fruit drink - he's the poster child for whatever party you tend to vote for. And that's why your wrong, and smell funny......whoever you are


(lazy debate is a real sign of the times - and what we see here is lazy debate)

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[wmw999 2,122]

I'll just bet you're right

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Gravitymaster 0]

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This article is nothing but left-wing Liberal tripe. Nice try.

Unlike some others here, I'm willing to believe you were making a joke.

Of course I was making a joke.

[champu 1]

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tThat's ridiculous, y. You're just like that guy that killed all those people because he couldn't find a purple flavored fruit drink; he's the poster child for whatever party you tend to vote for. And that's why youryou're wrong, and smell funny......, whoever you are.

Nice grammar, you godless commie.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

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tThat's ridiculous, y. You're just like that guy that killed all those people because he couldn't find a purple flavored fruit drink; he's the poster child for whatever party you tend to vote for. And that's why youryou're wrong, and smell funny......, whoever you are.

Nice grammar, you godless commie.

Ah, you suck.








I was looking for the best place to use that response (read the OP if you don't understand that this is A JOKE!!!)

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo