You know that saying about why not to argue with fools – the one that goes “dont argue with a fool, they’ll take you to their level and beat you cos they’ve more practice?”.
I think that’s just bollocks – and chickening out.
The fools need to be put down, and shown their place – especially in arguements. Its far easier to get a smart person to agree they’re losing the arguement than to get a fool to do so.
And IMO the best way to do it is beat them on their ground – let them switch topics, carry on with their assertions – and counter them with things even fools cant disagree with!
Leaving the debate open for fools to take over is about the worst thing one can do. The best way is to close it fast, and aggressively.
To argue successfully (that is: triumphantly) with a fool (assuming that you are wise and your case is valid) one has to have the gift of the gab. A gabby fool can win over a slow-to-articulate wise dude.
I wonder whether one good approach for most of us might be to ask (with a studied air of being a dutiful, interested student) questions about the implications of the foolish assertion.
Er… drat! I cannot think of any examples; too slow you see.
Cheers,
Cy (of cyquick@wordpress.com)
By: Cy on May 24, 2006
at 1:41 am
Hmmm… Interesting.. I will write a story to corroborate your point sukhi!
Hehehe! Yeah, that would be an interesting past time for today. Gimme two days to come up with one..
I can already see something formulate in my mind… How to argue with fools…
!
But, I agree. The best way to beat them is to beat them and beat them at their own ground. Yeah, that should be some of the statements that you could even use against them.
Or, c’mon don’t be such a fool. Don’t you know that we, the people are indeed the people for the people by the people?
By: Guru Panguji on May 24, 2006
at 1:21 pm
Cy,
lol,
yep, gift of the gab, absolutely. Being smart and not being able to articulate it sucks.
Guru,
Looking forward to the story.
By: sukhi on May 24, 2006
at 2:20 pm
Its normal to argue with a fool… coz u loose focus and get soo tied down in your own emotions that you forgetting that you dealing with a fool…
Arguing doesnt mean you are right…
and not arguing doesnt mean you are wrong…
They say best things in life are best remain unsaid!
By: Amit on December 1, 2006
at 10:37 pm
from what ive learned.. arguing with a fool is a waste of time.. i think those kind of people do need to be “set in their place” -however, MOST of the time they dont stay in their place.. b/c they’re fools! no matter what you say to them it wont get absorbed in their pea-sized brains!.. (haha,j/k) the point im trying to make is that the only way to get through to stubborn people is to tell them they’re right no matter what* ha!.. let the simpleton be simple ;]
By: Linda on March 22, 2007
at 3:40 am
hehe, “let the simpleton be simple”! great point Linda. I think I might use that line sometimes, with ur permission, of course!
By: Sukhi on March 22, 2007
at 11:51 pm