How people say they're wrong without actually thinking it

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In summary: I gave him a Logic argument he would just walk away with a smile on his face. :devil: :devil: :devil:In summary, the old guy argues that he has been on the planet for longer than anyone and is therefore more qualified to make decisions than anyone else. The person arguing with him does not believe this and challenges him on his facts, to which the old guy eventually walks away.
  • #1
Pengwuino
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We've all had those conversations... when you know you're right but the person you're arguing against is dead set against agreeing you no matter how manyc ontradictions you point out in their argument and they ignore or how illogical their views are. Now, feel free to contribue! Mind you, some of these sayings are genuine responses to certain situations... but let's bring some up that you've heard at ends of arguments where the person just didn't want to concede being wrong.

For example:

"Well that's just your opinion" (which is odd because why are you trying to say I am wrong if it's all supposedly just opinion)
"Well other people agree with me so there"
"I don't care if it doesn't make sense, I'm right so there"
"Maybe if you were a little more open-minded..."

special for you IR and TD people:
"People use to say Einstein was wrong"
"Well your theory is as plausible as mine" (after being shown how non-plausible it is of course)
"I don't care what your theory says"

I heard that last one last night. Someone said "I don't believe in the speed of light theory". I responded "what about SR don't you understand". Of coures, the response was "What's SR?"

So what kinds of responses have you heard from people? What kind of responses just make you kick yourself for wasting 30 minutes arguing with someone to hear them basically say that they don't care if their argument is wrong or completely inconsistant, they're still right.
 
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  • #2
When a wise man argues at length with a fool, it becomes difficult to distinguish who is the fool.

- Warren
 
  • #3
chroot said:
When a wise man argues at length with a fool, it becomes difficult to distinguish who is the fool.

- Warren
:biggrin: Very wise indeed.
 
  • #4
chroot said:
When a wise man argues at length with a fool, it becomes difficult to distinguish who is the fool.

- Warren

:devil: but how are you suppose to educate people then!
 
  • #5
Pengwuino said:
:devil: but how are you suppose to educate people then!
You're supposed to have the sense to realize it's futile at some point, which is when you give up and say, "Well, that's your opinion; we'll have to agree to disagree," and end the discussion. :biggrin:
 
  • #6
People who wish to be educated usually don't 'argue;' they listen, make reasonable questions, participate in constructive dialogue, etc. The people you're describing are not interested in being educated.

- Warren
 
  • #7
Pengwuino said:
:devil: but how are you suppose to educate people then!
Sometimes you have to let the strays go and not return them back to the herd.
 
  • #8
Sometimes you have to let the strays go and not return them back to the herd.

Sometimes its the herd itself that is astray, and a stray from the herd is no stray at all.
 
  • #9
Too much wisdom! Stick to English, people.
 
  • #10
I've always liked the saying "I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person".
 
  • #11
Alwys trying to ruin me aren't you guys...
 
  • #12
No, they are trying to save you from an exercise in futility. :biggrin:
 
  • #13
Astronuc said:
No, they are trying to save you from an exercise in futility. :biggrin:

I disagree! :grumpy: :grumpy:
 
  • #14
Pengwuino said:
I disagree! :grumpy: :grumpy:
Lose water for few hours and you just get so :grumpy: - :rolleyes:
 
  • #15
Astronuc said:
Lose water for few hours and you just get so :grumpy: - :rolleyes:

We got our water back but the shower pressure is so low! I'm :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: !
 
  • #16
Astronuc said:
Lose water for few hours and you just get so :grumpy: - :rolleyes:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
 
  • #17
It is probably more wise not to exasporate over someone's implacability; it's better to let it go like water off a duck's back. I personally believe that we all take turns being stubborn in the way you mention anyway. The next time it happens, just imagine that you are arguing with your own stubborn self, and I'm sure you'll change your stance and find that their implacability was to a degree egged on by your own attitude toward them after you determined that they were being stubborn.

Of course, this is just an ideal of mine, and I don't follow my ideals 100%; they are just my guidlines, and I choose to go against them at times because sometimes I surmize that applying them won't benefit anyone.
 
  • #18
Good job starting another post about your :cry:'ing.


P.S. Didn't you already have a thread about this?
 
  • #19
I think the worse one I got was when I was arguing that one nuclear bomb will not destroy the planet. I'm talking only one single bomb. Considering Russia has tested the largest nuclear bomb ever (that I know of) and the world is still here shows how false this is.

His argument for being right...

"How long you been on this planet?" - Old Guy
"Um... what you talking about?" - Me
"I've been on this planet for 60 years so I'm clearly more wise than you." - Old Guy

He walked away after that.

I've never met a bigger fool. I bet a rock contains more intelligence than this man.
 
  • #20
Jonny_trigonometry said:
It is probably more wise not to exasporate over someone's implacability; it's better to let it go like water off a duck's back.
Or a pengwuino's back in this case. :biggrin:
 
  • #21
It's odd how some people are told something by their friend a few years prior to your argument. Their friend may be the stupidest person on earth... Yet, they will stick to what their friend told them and not believe anything else, no matter who tells them. How does that work??!?
 
  • #22
moose said:
It's odd how some people are told something by their friend a few years prior to your argument. Their friend may be the stupidest person on earth... Yet, they will stick to what their friend told them and not believe anything else, no matter who tells them. How does that work??!?

I think people tend to think whatever they are told first about something is fact and want to stick to it.
 
  • #23
cyrusabdollahi said:
Good job starting another post about your :cry:'ing.


P.S. Didn't you already have a thread about this?
maybe we can get pengwuino deported.
 
  • #24
but how are you suppose to educate people then!
A lot of times you have to give up on the hardcore people. The blind see what they want to see and nothing else. Like when a PETA spokesperson was on FOX news. Ha, it was funny.

But even though sometimes people tell me that I talk too much or I always say how they're wrong, they all come back and say they agree with me or I've changed their views. I just try to make them think, before they know. Before they've gotten too hard on something.
 
  • #25
The other night I was waiting for the bus and an interesting gentleman decided to start talking to me. He was telling about how there must obviously be life on other planets and that astronauts have already seen them. He said it's obvious that these aliens have better technology than we do and that is why our government is so interested in new technology because we obviously can't defend our planet from these aliens just using the weapons we have. He told me about "these things that spin particles around really really really fast... and it's like really and I mean really fast and people are just like whoa because it's just so fast and their called particle... something.. particle movers because they move particles like really fast". He went on to explain to me, using the movie Independance Day as a reference, that we obviously can't just use guns to defend ourselves from aliens and that's why we have particle movers so that we can make particles go really fast and then shoot them out into space at the aliens. I just smiled and nodded until my bus arrived then left him still ranting about aliens.

Do you get to have conversations like that too Penwuino?
 
  • #26
I patronise people who are wrong. If that doesn't work I glare at them until it unsettles them and causes them to vacate my presence.
 
  • #27
I attempt to be even more incoherent then they are. Try just screaming at the top of your lungs about peccaries the next time they bother you.

or just blow a big snot all over yourself and ask if they have any kleenex.
 
  • #28
TheStatutoryApe said:
I just smiled and nodded until my bus arrived then left him still ranting about aliens.
And when you got home and removed your human costume, you fired up your communications device and radioed the mothership "Earthings still hopelessly in the dark. Proceed with invasion."
 
  • #29
TheStatutoryApe said:
Do you get to have conversations like that too Penwuino?

occasionally i'll have a conversation like that. People just don't believe me when i tell them that's what the accelerators are for :grumpy:
 
  • #30
DeadWolfe said:
...Try just screaming at the top of your lungs...

or just blow a big snot all over yourself and ask if they have any kleenex.

I like that idea! Why not sneeze on them? Or use negative body language like giving them the finger.

My dad uses the aforementioned method. If you can't get through to an imbecile the first time, just keep repeating yourself louder and louder to every one of their responses.
 
  • #31
Evo said:
I've always liked the saying "I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person".
I have taken to saying things like: "You're right, that's why lasers don't really work, and we'll never have cordless phones because physicists don't really know anything."
 

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