Arguing with ignorant people

TinfoilTinman

Every so often, you meet a person who lacks information on a particular topic and yet argues vehemently their point. The topic is usually one in which you have extensive knowledge. In the more heated arguements, straw men and ad hominem attacks can arise.

The person is not necessarily stupid (though can be), just mis/uninformed.

Q1: What topics would you consider yourself well-versed in?
(you need not be an expert or have a profession related to it)

Q2: What is the wildest claim you've heard in relation to it?

starbelgrade

Q1: What topics would you consider yourself well-versed in?

A1: I know absolutely everything about everything.


Q2: What is the wildest claim you've heard in relation to it?

A2: See answer 1.

hondasam

TinfoilTinman wrote: »

Q1: What topics would you consider yourself well-versed in?
(you need not be an expert or have a profession related to it)

Anything about sex.

Q2: What is the wildest claim you've heard in relation to it?

I once heard a man say he lasted a full eight minutes.

Terry

starbelgrade wrote: »

Q1: What topics would you consider yourself well-versed in?

A1: I know absolutely everything about everything.


Q2: What is the wildest claim you've heard in relation to it?

A2: See answer 1.

Huh?

johnr1

hondasam wrote: »

I once heard a man say he lasted a full eight minutes.

Listen here, If we lasted for hours, then you'd be a pauper, so quit yore bitchin

:P

Jul3s

Arguing with ignorant people is abit like......................

Arguing with Cork people

Sauve

This is too difficult for AH.

Chuck Stone

I think I have more of a Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type knowledge bank.

If someone is being dogmatically stupid with me I just pretend that they are right to bring the conversation/debate to an end as quickly as possible.

FootShooter

Q1: Chemtrails. Only the most stupid and most ignorant would believe that chemtrails exist.

Q2. That chemtrails actually exist.

Temptamperu

Well thats just your opinion isnt it?

OF FUCKING COURSE ITS MY OPINION YOU THICK LUMP OF SHITE.

I hate that response

CrazyRabbit

OP...I'd argue this point with you but...well ya know.

massdebater

That's ignorant

/Michael Jackson voice

Chuck Stone

Temptamperu wrote: »

Well thats just your opinion isnt it?

OF FUCKING COURSE ITS MY OPINION YOU THICK LUMP OF SHITE.

I hate that response

Just reply with 'well spotted' and they stop pointing out the obvious.

mackg

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I think I have more of a Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type knowledge bank.

If someone is being dogmatically stupid with me I just pretend that they are right to bring the conversation/debate to an end as quickly as possible.

Jesus Christ this. I can't stand arguing with irrational people, if they are that hell bent on not listening to reasonable arguments leave them off.

Kanoe

this is really just a subtle continuation of the abiogenesis/intelligent design discussion over in the unpopular opinion thread where a couple of people spent a day trying to convince each other their super powers were better than the other, isn't it?

They're all lovely super powers.

cursai

Please merge with Atheism thread to allow access of ignoramus's>>>

Amirani

cursai wrote: »

Please merge with Atheism thread to allow access of ignoramus's>>>

Spot the irony...

flutterflye

I guess aspergers and adhd would be what I know the most about.

The usual crap that makes my blood boil are statements like "these disorders didn't exist when I was young", or "adhd is just a made up term for boldness", "it's the parents fault", "all he/she needs is some manners put on them", "they grow out of it" and so on.

Oh and also depression - "Just snap yourself out of it". Aaaaggghhh!!!

policarp

You think I know F*** nothing. . .

I know F*** ALL. . .

minidazzler

People don't argue because they are right, they argue because they want to win. In fact, arguing with you increases how much they believe in their argument and thus increases their need to win to prove you wrong, the funny thing is that it happens on your side too, so it's two people trying to win by proving the other wrong but the more they argue the more they want to argue to "win"

im invisible

I know fcuk-all about anything, but with a few pints in me, i'll argue anything with anyone, i especially enjoy when both of us are arguing for the same side, but are too drunk to realise it.

Chuck Stone

minidazzler wrote: »

People don't argue because they are right, they argue because they want to win. In fact, arguing with you increases how much they believe in their argument and thus increases their need to win to prove you wrong, the funny thing is that it happens on your side too, so it's two people trying to win by proving the other wrong but the more they argue the more they want to argue to "win"

I'm afraid that is completely wrong..
trollface.pic

im invisible

...reminds me of a short story by Irvine Welsh, something like 'magic vs unknown scince' or 'the two professers' or something...

Jumpy

Temptamperu wrote: »

Well thats just your opinion isnt it?

OF FUCKING COURSE ITS MY OPINION YOU THICK LUMP OF SHITE.

I hate that response

Are you sure they are not just taking advantage of your Big Lebowski ignorance?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVCtkzIXYzQ

Daniel S

I find that arguments tend to arise from people not realising I'm right.

blackbird98

an old saying that says a lot:

He who thinks he knows something, knows nothing. He who knows he knows nothing, knows something!!

Duggy747

I know what I know and normally keep my opinion to myself. Only rarely do I come out of the woodwork when called for, like an idiot friend I had on Facebook who kept spreading terrible anti-everything propaganda and jumped on every bandwagon imaginable like the capitalist conspiracy of computers and flat-screens TV's & monitors despite her having the same knowledge of IT as a granny's weakened knee.

Never argue with an idiot, they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience...........or drive you to murder.

foxyboxer

People who think the Moon landings were faked because they saw some photographs on the internet without stars and stuff :rolleyes:

It's like a bull and a red flag to me.

working fool

Q1 panel eating

Q2 sure that will polish out

siltirocker

Temptamperu wrote: »

Well thats just your opinion isnt it?

OF FUCKING COURSE ITS MY OPINION YOU THICK LUMP OF SHITE.

I hate that response

I don't think you've picked that phrase up right. That phrase highlights that the person is happy that it is YOUR opinion and one that is not not popular with the masses. It is a well shrouded insult.

Leftist

This place has thousands of these tabloid, chinese whisper educated types who think anything that isn't republican and catholic is wrong. if you try to reason with them they start picking out the most irrelevant point of your post as if they were some intellectual sage. If you were to go off AH you'd think irish people really do deserve their stereotype.

drunkymonkey

Jul3s wrote: »

Arguing with ignorant people is abit like......................

Arguing with Cork people

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

siltirocker

Leftist wrote: »

This place has thousands of these tabloid, chinese whisper educated types who think anything that isn't republican and catholic is wrong. if you try to reason with them they start picking out the most irrelevant point of your post as if they were some intellectual sage. If you were to go off AH you'd think irish people really do deserve their stereotype.

I kinda disagree. I don't think I've met anyone under the age of 30 in this country (and certainly no one on boards.ie) that is this way or any way heavy right. And conceit seems to be getting ironed out of the Irish way of thought.

If fact it's ignorance in left wing folk I find appallingly stupid; much more then someone who is 'set in his ways'. Case in point 'Occupy Ireland'.

MrSnuffleupagus

A friend of mine nearly got into a fist fight a few weeks back over such an argument.

Big F1 fan, he met a guy in the pub who claimed Mario "Jonathan" Andretti is the greatest driver in the history of the sport, and no matter what my friend said against it (a very structured and well informed argument I was told - was far to hammered myself to remember but I take his word for it.. it was full of fancy city-folk words like "downforce"), the guy just shouted "ANDRETTI'S CAR WAS FASTER!"

Bouncer nearly had to pull them apart, and I've been hearing (not really listening to) his ranting about it since.

Finest example of trolling IRL I've ever seen, whether intentional or not :rolleyes:

Parsley

man once tried to convince me that Guinness did, in fact, settle downwards. So why is the head at the top of the glass i ask him... apparently nitrogen gas in Guinness is heavier than carbon dioxide in other beers so it settles downwards. Being a chemistry student I called him out as CO2 is much heavier than N2. then he tried to quote Reddit as a scientific source...

i never held any sort of snobbery against people who went to ITs before meeting this man...

Leftist

siltirocker wrote: »

I kinda disagree. I don't think I've met anyone under the age of 30 in this country (and certainly no one on boards.ie) that is this way or any way heavy right. And conceit seems to be getting ironed out of the Irish way of thought.

If fact it's ignorance in left wing folk I find appallingly stupid; much more then someone who is 'set in his ways'. Case in point 'Occupy Ireland'.

yep, occupy ireland represents left wing.

That statement kind of makes you come off worse than anyone else tbf.

stupidusername

Most people on here aren't open to discussion/argument. Everyone wants to argue their point,and will not have their view changed or questioned. It seems to get personal when they can't come up with anything to back up their argument.

If I get into a discussion about something i'm nearly always open to having my view changed.otherwise what's the point? It's about hearing the sound of your own voice then.

I give up arguing with people when it's obvious they're not open to real discussion

kfallon

Can't be arsed arguing with others tbh, especially if it comes to sport. Find it deeply annoying when two guys argue in the pub over football when both support different teams, you know neither will give in and round and round it goes in circles :rolleyes:

Me and my mates often have differences of opinions but it never, ever descends into arguments cos lets face it, opinions are like arseholes....we all have one but it's not always best to air them in public!

Not everyone thinks the same!

jester77

Would that mean that it is better to know something about nothing than nothing about something?

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I'm a student of history and I'd consider it one of the area's I'm most knowledgeable in.

I often find people who have a terrible knowledge of Irish history making ridiculous claims about the past, or refusing to believe facts which don't fit into their worldview. I have severe trouble getting people to believe that the Pope celebrated the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne.

TinfoilTinman

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I'm a student of history and I'd consider it one of the area's I'm most knowledgeable in.

I often find people who have a terrible knowledge of Irish history making ridiculous claims about the past, or refusing to believe facts which don't fit into their worldview. I have severe trouble getting people to believe that the Pope celebrated the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne.

I didn't know that! Then again, my knowledge of history is very poor such that i'm prone to accepting most claims that don't involve conspiracy theories.

Luckily, I forget all claims made so I don't end up spouting nonsense history.

moco

Duggy747 wrote: »

I know what I know and normally keep my opinion to myself. Only rarely do I come out of the woodwork when called for, like an idiot friend I had on Facebook who kept spreading terrible anti-everything propaganda and jumped on every bandwagon imaginable like the capitalist conspiracy of computers and flat-screens TV's & monitors despite her having the same knowledge of IT as a granny's weakened knee.

Never argue with an idiot, they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience...........or drive you to murder.

I have a facebook friemd that keeps posting this kind of crap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAqYfYSRZZk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKd4jD1JDE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZ9Uu9O5o8&feature=related

Apparently Beyonce is a satan worshipper.

--Kaiser--

foxyboxer wrote: »

People who think the Moon landings were faked because they saw some photographs on the internet without stars and stuff :rolleyes:

It's like a bull and a red flag to me.

The thing about Conspiracy Theorists (TM) is that they tend to be completely immune to rational debate. You can come up with all the evidence in the world, demolish their crazy, non-nonsensical arguments and they'll just go off muttering that you're a 'sheep'

policarp

blackbird98 wrote: »

an old saying that says a lot:

He who thinks he knows something, knows nothing. He who knows he knows nothing, knows something!!

jester77 wrote: »

Would that mean that it is better to know something about nothing than nothing about something?

I was told by a wise old man years ago, whilst I was pontificating, that
I didn't know enough to know that I knew nothing.
Had to think long and hard about that one. . .

--Kaiser--

policarp wrote: »

I was told by a wise old man years ago, whilst I was pontificating, that
I didn't know enough to know that I knew nothing.
Had to think long and hard about that one. . .

The beginning of wisdom is admitting you know nothing.

Thankfully I did this a long time ago

flutterflye

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

The beginning of wisdom is admitting you know nothing.

Thankfully I did this a long time ago

This sounds like a total paradox to me!
You are saying that to be wise, one must accept that they know nothing, yet you are saying that you have already accepted that you know nothing, giving the implication that you are wise.

44leto

I love arguing with ignorant people its why I joined after hours and I really hit the motherload:D

--Kaiser--

flutterflye wrote: »

This sounds like a total paradox to me!
You are saying that to be wise, one must accept that they know nothing, yet you are saying that you have already accepted that you know nothing, giving the implication that you are wise.

You learn quickly, grasshopper

Siuin

Basically the same as trying to argue with religious people-- you can prove to the world that they're idiots, but try to convince them? Not a chance.

du Maurier

flutterflye wrote: »

This sounds like a total paradox to me!
You are saying that to be wise, one must accept that they know nothing, yet you are saying that you have already accepted that you know nothing, giving the implication that you are wise.

See also, Simpson's paradox (That of Bart, not Edward the statistician)..."I'll be damned if I do, and I'll be damned if I don't!)

Paulor94

I'm a teenager so i automately know everything. I'M NOT IGNORANT I AM RIGHT YOU ARE WRONG END OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P