Flame Warriors ~ View topic

As I was reading my book on Philosophy 1, I came across an interesting little tidbit. According to the author, one should never engage in a verbal debate with anyone on any subject unless one is certain that both people are using the same word in the same way.

Then, the author goes on to advice the students to ask one question before engaging in a debate:

"What do you mean? In what sense are you using the word?"

And then, it struck me: Why not apply this bit of advice to flame wars?

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Next time you engage in a flame war over a specific topic, it would do you well to ask that question. Not only does it buy you some much-needed time, it can also reveal your foe's intentions.

Three outcomes are possible ater asking the question:

1.) You find out that your opponent is using the term in the exact same way as you, and that you both agree.
RESULT: You can stop the flamewar (if the term is involved in a crucial way in the central issue).

2.) You find out that your opponent is using the term in a different way.
RESULT: The flamewar goes on. (This is the "worst" situation, relatively speaking.)

3.) Your opponent can't define the term.
RESULT: Your opponent has exposed his weakness. Use it to your advantatge.
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Chaos Revenant:
Doing What You Don't Have The Guts To Since 2006

That is a most excellent fucking suggestion.

I note that it was completely fucking ignored of course. Solutions to conflicts are spurned by those with a deep seated NEED to have some drama, some conflict, some sort of fight they can look forward to.

Fuck, stopping a flame war is considered foul play by the participants, unless they are clearly losing.

"Define your terms" is a high handed tactic, in which the opponent is now under the gun, having to answer questions, be questioned, held accountable, it changes the power structure, rather than just let lose with slings and arrows, the conversation turns to the meaning of words, maybe even the meaning of life, and rather than a shallow mud match, with maybe some naked chicks rolling around all wet and dirty, you get ivory tower philosophy, deep truth, meaning and shit, all of which is poison to the swinging dick who really wants to sucker punch somebody in the balls.
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-->boring bit of text

I Hereby dub this "The Inigo Maneuver" after Inigo montoya's line in "the Princess Bride":

"You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means..."
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Jesus Saves-You take full damage

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=633834BA5054CB2C

Clowns.

They should be shot on sight.
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."

Oh look, another troll rendered powerless to even annoy by the combination of his own rote behavior and a web browser.

FX wrote "Clowns. ... They should be shot on sight."

Reminds me of a scene in "Real Men"
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The important thing is knowing who owns the fence

How about The Fugitive?

"It wasn't me...it was the one-armed clown!"
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Jesus Saves-You take full damage

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=633834BA5054CB2C