Which Poly poster would you most regret getting in an argument with?

[David Floyd]

That's the answer when you look like a total fool, eh?

When did Serb ever make me look like a fool?

And why the hell do you have such a hard-on for me? I think it's pretty funny, personally, but dear God in heaven, some people might think you're obsessed.

[Alexander's Horse]

Berz plays civ the way he debates - hard. Always at you, no quarter given, fights for every yard, never gives an inch, as Ming will attest.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Ming

But in quick review... you were the only person not being logical... so cram it...

Hardly, you made the same mistake as Berz. It's not my fault you spent half the thread attacking what you perceived to be my position, even though I spent the same amount of time repeatedly attempting to explain that it wasn't.

[Kropotkin]

A spin on Aghaton: That's also a kind of posters that are really hard to argue against. Posters that make assumptions about what you think and say instead of actually reading what you claim. Chris62 for example is a master in this "techniqe".

[Serb]

Originally posted by David Floyd


When did Serb ever make me look like a fool?

I must admit. I can't make you look more foolish than you already are. Just open your eyes and look at your own photos.

[Agathon]

I can't be bothered with all the other drivel...

Originally posted by Berzerker

"Sexist" is how you continually described Augusta's policy and not one rational reason we offered could get you to admit there were non-sexist reasons for banning women. If some men harass women in gyms, that's grounds for banning those men, true? But no, you say that because "men are pigs", all men can be banned. So, since women on average are slower golfers, Augusta can use a generalisation to ban all women.

Again this is a fraudulent misrepresentation on your part. I certainly did not say that there could not be non-sexist reasons for banning women, I just said that I couldn't think of any good ones (you are confusing modalities again). But that is beside the point as that wasn't my position. My position was that it's wrong to do it for sexist reasons. If men are behaving like pigs in a gym, it isn't sexist to ban them, any more than it is sexist to ban women if they were behaving badly.

If you bothered reading the thread correctly you would see that the women only gyms thing was a response to another poster. It stems from a case I know of where a women only day had to be instituted because of the bad behaviour of the men in the gym (which I explained later in the thread). The whole point of the example is to show that I'm not arguing against differential treatment for any reason. In any case, to be consistent on the slow golf Augusta would have to ban old people, which they don't. But that's not the point.

I see I'll have to explain myself again, since you still don't get it. All this muck of yours is irrelevant to my position, which was, if Augusta is discriminating for sexist reasons, then it is wrong. You can talk out your backside about other reasons for having men only golf clubs and it still won't touch my position at all.

Your argument seems to be thi: if Agathon thinks that differential treatment for sexist reasons is wrong, then Agathon must (to remain consistent) believe that differential treatment for any reason is wrong.

It would be harder to find a better example of your logical ineptitude.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Berz plays civ the way he debates - hard. Always at you, no quarter given, fights for every yard, never gives an inch, as Ming will attest.

That's only because he doesn't have an inch to give.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Spiffor -
Yeah, you're in the crowd here who only seeks enlightenment.

The purpose of debate is to convince others to adopt your viewpoints, learning new ideas is secondary. When schools have organised debates, the goal is to win, not lose or become "enlightened". And since you've admitted not debating me in the past and judging me based on this thread, a thread designed for a flame war, your comments are not based on an adequate source.

Did I say he was fictional?

I happen to admit I am wrong about once or twice a day, not once in a lifetime. If you go to this thread, you'll notice many think it is one of my main characteristics.

You are right when you tell a debate is also intended to convince others. But please answer : do you think you have managed to convince anybody, or to make anybody wonder, with your method ?
A debate on 'Poly is very different in nature with a debate in school, because there are no spectators. In school, you try to ridicule the other's argumentation (or his person) to sway spectators to your cause. In 'Poly, the only people you can try to convince are the ones you're arguing with. Being stubborn and obsessed by "winning" doesn't make them any open to listen to your real arguments.

You didn't say he was fictional, but the similarity was so high, I'd have been suspicious if I had been you. And no, the fact that he admitted he was wrong once isn't enough, by far. He overused this one occurence as an excuse to prove he is not stubborn. But this one occurence certainly did not reflect his daily personality, and was more an accident.

[about Agathon]
HEY SPIFFOR! We need your commentary.

Agathon is pretty similar to you as he seems to go to debates to win, and I don't think I have ever seen him giving in on any point. I avoid to argue with him when possible, and there's a reason why I stayed clear from the Augusta thread. However, I subjectively feel you are even more extreme than him.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Agathon is pretty similar to you as he seems to go to debates to win, and I don't think I have ever seen him giving in on any point.

You should die for that.

I've given in on the odd thing now and then since I've been here. I just won't do it for the sake of doing it.

Anyway, how many Poly posters have ever admitted they're wrong? Not many, I'd wager. Ned once admitted that he no longer believed Ayn Rand, but that's about the only one I've seen.

[Lincoln]

I like debates where both sides learn something. Otherwise it is just an argument or a battle of wits. If people want to engage in a battle of wits then they ought to bring some with them.

[Lincoln]

I admitted that I was wrong one time but it turned out I was mistaken...

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Lincoln
I admitted that I was wrong one time but it turned out I was mistaken...

[Agathon]

Actually on this note:

What are the three words that every man longs to hear from a woman.

I - was - wrong.

(Women don't seem to think that's funny at all)

[Lincoln]

You are welcome to use that in your next philosophy class...

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Berzerker

Spencer -

Thx, but you're just making yourself a target.

Thats OK, I can take it.