New Essay on The Zompist: 'On Arguing'

[nemorathwald]

Is there a lull in flamewars, or am I just not on the right forums anymore? Summer time, and the living is easy. So I choose now to post this. There's very little point in pointing out essays like this to anyone who is currently hunkered down in a fortress of defensiveness. They'd just feel you're making up rules to impose; and will promptly ask who died and made you king.

There is a new essay by Mark Rosenfelder on The Zompist, "On Arguing." Even if you're conflict-averse, you will see arguing in your life. If it turns ugly, "On Arguing" will help you judge the appropriate levels of social consequences to mete out for what you had to sit through.

Sample: "It’s the exaggeration and the malice that distinguish a real straw man from an honest misunderstanding."

Another useful essay on this topic is "How to Disagree" by Paul Graham.

Comments

Nice

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Intriguing essays, to be sure.

However, I would cavil at citing the example statements given in the essay on disagreement; statements predicated on the viewpoint that, somehow, Intelligent Design carries scientific weight, such as:-

I can't believe the author dismisses intelligent design in such a
cavalier fashion. Intelligent design is a legitimate scientific theory.

I am more likely to look at a book promoting intelligent design or some such semantic shill game trickery and disagree with its flawed core premises with this statement:-

I can't believe the author dismisses evolution in such a
cavalier fashion. Evolution is a legitimate scientific theory.

and I would say so confidently, based on my current understanding that evolution through natural selection is a scientifically valid theory, based on the overwhelming amount of evidence uncovered to date.

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

Funny you mention this, we seem to be on the same wavelength today.

How To Fight

[(Anonymous)]

Michael Crichton wrote a similar article, on fighting (arguing) within a romantic relationship:
http://www.michaelcrichton.net/essay-playboy-howtofight.html

[http://users.livejournal.com/jer_/]

I like it. I suffer from snap-judgement syndrome, though. I make a decision fairly early in the conversation as to whether or not another person in the discussion is interested in "discussion" or in "fighting", and that is the filter through which the remainder of my communication on that topic is run. It's a flaw, I'm sure. It's probably even one I should fix.

Hrmm...things to ponder.