Joe, hello. I feel like I should say something to everybody and for everybody, really. This is supposed to address an entire societal increase in stuff like this and it is not a "here" thing. It might have grown from here, but I'm looking to depersonalize and defuse it here. I'm thinking more broadly. Like anywhere you go you might find this tactic. It is happening everywhere and more and more. This isn't an FBG thing
It’s pretty prevalent here. It’s almost a sliding scale with anonymity. The more anonymity we have, the more it happens. The question is, how do we address it? For me, I'm just inclined to ignore it and not respond to it. At least here, it's rather obvious when it’s happening and pretty consistent with several of the posters. It’s just not worth engagement. It was mentioned in one of the comments as I was catching up that we need to be clear and specific in our terms. I think that's 100% spot on. What do we then do when it's asserted that we are arguing semantics or picking nits? To me, another sign just to bow out. I don't always get it right and get sucked in more than I'd like, but I'm getting better at it.
It’s really important to define terms. That was me talking about it. There are so many ambiguities in common parlance that you really need to be on the same page with the person you are having the discussion with.
It can get down to a semantics game at times. That is frustrating.
Interesting that you brought up ignoring or walking away. That is something I think most people get better at with experience and age, but damn if I have figured it out. Did you read the second post (I know that they’re long walls of text) with Schopenhauer talking about just that? He was almost a bit poetic in his outlook, which wasn’t too generous.
As far as here at FBG goes, I’m finding it everywhere. It’s become the new way to argue. It’s so passive-aggressive and I’m just not a fan. I was never a big fan of people that use the loaded question fallacy to make you look bad. This tactic is close to that. It is very close to that and it has the effect of leaving you with a choice that is totally contingent on the insight and temperament of your audience, or onlookers, if you prefer that term. Not very sporting in my book.
You mean the statements like "I really disagree with how Israel is handling situation X" being translated into "So, you're antisemitic?" I was coming into this site when the PSF was on its last leg. I saw that stuff all the time there and now it’s creeping into the FFA.
Ah, welp. I can’t help an anti-Semite. Have a good one!
No, I guess sorry about that. The Israel issue is fraught with a lot of emotion and some strong feelings. That might be one where Schopenhauer’s advice is sound.
"The only safe rule, therefore, is . . . not to dispute with the first person you meet, but only with those of your acquaintance of whom you know that they possess sufficient intelligence and self-respect not to advance absurdities; to appeal to reason and not to authority, and to listen to reason and yield to it; and, finally, to cherish truth, to be willing to accept reason even from an opponent, and to be just enough to bear being proved to be in the wrong, should truth lie with him."
Peace and have a good one.
