From: KaRand Smigrodzki (Karen@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Sun Jul 20 2003 - 13:25:22 MDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hubert Mania" <humania@t-online.de>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
>
>
> In some extreme cases I guess it is appropriate to attack someone
> personally, so she or he gets a chance to reevaluate his/her thoughts.
Hubert, something tells me you are single. Seriously, does this
technique work for you? Perhaps there are certain groups of people with whom
your technique would work; I am guessing truck drivers, punk groups, drug
addicts? In my experience, admittedly only with mathematicians, musicians,
lawyers, physicians, and the like, your technique would be
counterproductive. First of all, if I read a post of the type you suggest
(even if not directed at me) then I would conclude that the author is unable
to make intellectual arguments, has an anger control problem, is prone to
fits of hysteria, is possibly dangerous in person, and/or is a jerk.
Secondly, personal attacks make the reader not like the attacker which makes
them less likely to care what the attacker has to say and much less likely
to want to have any philosophies in common with the attacker. Thirdly,
persons on this list are, for the most part, reachable by appeal to their
intellect; and your technique is an appeal to their emotion. Irrational,
emotion driven arguments (which is how personal attacks come across) are a
poor way of trying to convince others that your view is rational and/or
superior.
> Whenever it comes to the support of killing people for any cause
whatsoever,
> except for oself defense I think I even have the obligation for a personal
> attack.
>
>
I think you have the obligation, if any, to refrain from personal
attacks especially in such a situation. If you believe that supporting
killing for any cause is irrational, then you must present your position
rationally in order to obtain the best audience from your target. If you act
with anger toward a person, the person is likely to react to you (and to
others as proxies for you) in anger and not with the cool-headed, rational,
serious deliberation that the issue deserves. I believe your approach in
such a situation would be a detriment to the cause.
Hubert, I have tried to give you a "chance to reevaluate" your thoughts
on the matter by an appeal to your intellect. I wonder if it is necessary
for me to prompt you that this is what I hope you will do by inserting
personal attacks on you in the way of obscenities. I don't believe so, even
though this seems to be what you think is necessary for other people to be
urged to reevaluate their views. If you need it though, please insert as
you read whatever obscenities and personal attacks on yourself that you
would have put in if you were writing this.
KaRand Smigrodzki
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