The Long Road

12/11/2003 Archived Entry: "I looked at the 341 text for 5 mins and fell right asleep!"

There’s just no arguing with some people. Some people are just so absolutely convinced of their positions, whether they know what they’re talking about or whether you know what you’re talking about, that any kind of argument beyond smiling and nodding is meaningless. These are the same people who instinctively think that being louder also makes what they’re saying right. What’s the point of talking to someone who’s either yelling at you or thinking about how good their argument sounded?

My reaction tends to be backing off, basking in my own right-ness, nodding and smiling while quietly laughing inside because there’s not much else to do in such a situation. Unless you’ve got some kind of paper signed by The Pope, The President, The Dean and God himself you’ll never convince this person of your correctness, and even then they’ll make up something about how they were almost right or close to right or could have been right had such and such been some other way. These people don’t eat crow very well.

I try to never raise my voice in an argument because to me that’s like stooping to the lowest common denominator but at the same time it’s really hard to not sound like you’re losing when the other person’s so loud. Even when I have a vested interest in winning an argument I always find it’s not worth it and simply assume that whoever’s listening will have enough common sense to know that I’m right and the other person is wrong. Of course this never works out because my Number One rule always holds true: People are Stupid.

Anyways, one day I’m certain I’ll run into someone who’ll think my dad’s name is Bob and try as I might, I’ll never be able to convince him/her otherwise because they know better. When that day comes, I’ll nod and smile and run to the nearest internet terminal and write about it.

Replies: 3 comments

it does get rather frustrating arguing with ppl like that ... or even worse when the person finds one small area where you agree or concede to them and then believe that that then proves their entire argument ... and then as they believe more and more that they're right ... their volume level increases ... i guess that's usually when i walk away ...

what's the point of discussing something with someone like that .. other than to first get their point of view and their reasoning behind it (which is think is really the most valuable part of having a debate like situation with a person ... it helps you learn from the other person ... whether it be factual or behavioural) ... i usually walk away ... unbothered by the resulting taunts of "see, i was right" ... b/c the people i would wish to know the situation would understand it ... or so i hope ....

sure, many people are stupid ... but many are not ... and i'm not sure were i'm going in this one .... hmmmm ....

Posted by melpie @ 12/12/2003 09:34 AM EST

That's the wizard's first rule from the Sword of Truth series!!!!

Posted by Anonymous @ 12/12/2003 11:14 AM EST

You've just described almost every "conversation" I've ever had with my sister's boyfriend, Lindsay the boy. I don't know how she stands it. Of course, once he was arguing with her about how he's not homophobic but anyone who's gay is sick and wrong and should be shot or some crap like that, and he wasn't listening to what she had to say so she asked me to step in. I barely listened to his repetitive baseless argument and then blew up his thoery with facts and after a few hours, he got so mad that I still wasn't agreeing with him that he stormed out of our house and hasn't argued with me since. :) Most of the time I just walk away knowing that the other person is being stupid but for Lindsay the boy, I made an exception. And boy am I glad I did. :D

Posted by Andrea @ 12/12/2003 01:00 PM EST