In life it's important to know when to stop arguing with people

[BigBearJohn]

And simply let them be wrong

[TDale313]

1. Pick your battles

One of the biggest- sometimes hardest- life lessons

[Reiyuki]

6. Also, pick your strategy

Different people have different backgrounds, different family, different opinions. One persuasive argument will not fit them all.

So many discussions end up in the toilet because both sides end up flinging talking points that simply don't work on the other person.

[Roy Rolling]

41. And pick your objective...

Political debates are not about winning arguments and defeating others, political debate is about persuasion. If you have persuaded someone, they are by default defeated.

So, seek to persuade and not to defeat. That is the only way to ensure a lasting peace. Someone who is defeated but not persuaded will came back again and spout the same unreasonable shit.

[DVRacer]

46. My grandfather had a saying

Is this the hill you want to die on?

For proper perspective he was with 1st Marine division during WWII

Survived Guadacanal and Solomon Islands then later on Korea. He had a view of the world I did not understand till much later in my life. I can and will fight like hell for my beliefs but that must be tempered by logic and true understanding of ones goals. When formulating an argument make sure you understand what you hope to accomplish. If its frivolous maybe let it go and refocus on the important things. Keep the big picture in mind petty differences can tear us apart this upcoming election is a prime example.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. At a certain point

it's counterproductive. I just let them be most of the time. I've found responding to Facebook posts is equally useless. The amount of ignorance and bigotry on Facebook posts is simply endless.......

[Iwillnevergiveup]

11. Totally agree

Straight e-mail and (hello) phone calls and/or personal face-to-face contact are more satisfying.

[bvar22]

3. ...except when their Being WRONG hurts me and my family.

Then, I will fight.

[saidsimplesimon]

8. I agree. Family First

Easy for me to say. I have an extended family with a history. The ratings, only time will tell.

[OnyxCollie]

4. Spend more time outside.

[Mbrow]

37. good point,

Spent the last couple of days picking morels in the mountains.

[AlbertCat]

38. Spent the last couple of days picking morels in the mountains.

Are you trying to push your personal "pick & choose" morels on society?????

You can't just chose morels!

Who do you think you are?! The Morel Majority?


(It's also good to make stupid jokes at least once every 3 days )

[Mbrow]

40. Bad puns,

Never apologize, never explain!

[LibDemAlways]

5. True, but it's difficult. Stubborn

people who persist in their wrongheaded stubbornness can cause a lot of damage.

[passiveporcupine]

20. Sometimes they are just trolls

playin with you and trying to get a reaction through blatant denial even when faced with obvious evidence they are wrong.

I think when someone trolls a thread like that, they should be timed out or banned, but apparently, even though trolling is not supposedly not allowed, as long as they aren't "attacking" someone, they seem to get away with it.

So if it is not just an argument about opinion, but something that can be backed up with facts, and you are not changing anyone's mind, you might want to think about the trolling aspect.

My suggestion, if you come across someone who is obviously trolling...put them on permanent ignore. If everyone did that, they'd eventually get tired of not provoking any of their desired responses.

[edhopper]

7. No,

that is not important all.

You should continue to let people know they are wrong. Otherwise bad ideas take hold.


See what I did here.

[thereismore]

9. Sometimes the path to forgiveness begins with a realization that the other person is just stupid. nt

[closeupready]

14. +1. There are smart people. There are stupid people.

Now, of course, on DU, calling some people 'stupid' is 'intelligence-shaming!' or some such moronic DU-only bigotry.

[thereismore]

16. You don't have to say it... just think it and let it go. Or hit ignore, as I do. I am happier for it

[closeupready]

17. True - sometimes it feels good, esp. when the moron is smug

about their stupidity, to call them out. I don't think I've ever done it here, though.

Typically, I just draw up a nasty post, and then close the window without posting it, and move on. Or if the moron has a name I recognize, I won't even bother myself with reading it - in fact, I no longer really have an interest in arguing with people online at all.

Peace to you.

[thereismore]

33. I have done that!! (writing a response only to close the window... I felt so silly afterward). nt

[Rex]

10. Very true, learned that one years ago. Just let them be wrong and smug in their wrongness.

Ultimately it is a waste of YOUR time talking to someone that just wants to be an asshole.

[closeupready]

12. Yes. I used to get deeply upset at stuff posted here; then one day,

I realized, this is just another message board, and the stuff you are getting upset about is not important, and will not change reality or even any opinions. And so I found it easy to ignore members who did nothing but either troll, stir the pot, or do little more than post rofl smilies, because they don't matter - to me or to the real world. Insert Zen Buddha yogi smilie here.

[kentauros]

13. No Zen Buddha yogi smilie, but I have this one:

[closeupready]

15. There we go!

[JDPriestly]

18. That's what those who opposed the NAZIs in Germany did, and look

where it got them.

There is "wrong," and there is "wrong, wrong, wrong."

It depends. There are no hard and fast rules about this.

[SusanCalvin]

26. True.

I took it as "stop arguing with them," not "stop speaking against them."

[shanti]

19. many people

just HAVE to have the last word. it's a message board, and it's not that deep.

[valerief]

25. Right. After all, it's ONLY the internet. It's not like a boss or family member you don't like. nt

[RufusTFirefly]

21. Also, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

Simply scolding or berating people you disagree with is highly unlikely to win you converts.

What's trickier is that sometimes not even facts can vanquish deeply entrenched cognitive dissonance.

You can't reason someone out of something they weren't reasoned into in the first place.

[SusanCalvin]

27. ^THIS^

ETA: For some reason your handle reminds me....

https://m.

And then my Magic 8-Ball of a brain segued to this...

https://m.

[Jim Lane]

22. The classic expression is from xkcd

http://xkcd.com/386/

Sorry, I can't figure out how to post it here. Besides, going to the link lets you check out the mouseover text.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

36. This? Long a favorite.

[valerief]

23. Bwah! I do that by putting them on Ignore.

[Duval]

32. Not a bad idea.

[SusanCalvin]

24. I don't even recall which side you are on,

But you are so right.

[Feathery Scout]

28. Some people *must* always win. (My boss) And life is too short to argue every issue.

Just...let it go.

Your blood pressure will thank you.

[kimbutgar]

29. I learned you never argue with fools who refuse to hear both sides of a situation.

[guillaumeb]

30. I think you are wrong, but I will not argue with you.

That was easy!!!!!

Thank you.

[Duval]

31. That is what I did with my son, a Republican.

There was just no way he was going to change his beliefs that "there's no global warming", despite all scientific evidence to the contrary.
He started yelling and talking nonsense, so we have agreed to not discuss ANY kind of politics. At least we can have civil discussions now, which is good.

[mountain grammy]

34. if it's family, that's what you have to do..

my husband's family is nuts, but we do manage to visit. I do think we'll skip Texas this year, though. I think I'd lose my mind if one of my kids became a Republican.

[malokvale77]

35. This...

I tell them how the cow at the cabbage and them I'm done. I avoid the presence of unpleasant people.

[DrBulldog]

39. Exactly right. The most important thing is to know within yourself . . .

. . . that you are right and your reasoning makes good sense. Letting anyone else know what you think is far, far less important, and usually of little benefit.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

42. They always end up in positions of power too....

Where they can be wrong for everyone.

[Stonepounder]

43. I can't remember who said it, but...

It is very difficult to win an argument with an intelligent person, but it is damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid one.

[SylviaD]

44. My family is a mix of Democrats and Repugs...

...so there are always arguments. Definitely need to pick your battles.

Lately there are three factions because the Trump supporting family members don't get along with those who voted for that idiot W.

Actually listening to those two groups go at it at get togethers can be very entertaining!

[athena]

45. If your starting position is that you are right and the other person is wrong,

then what you are having is not a discussion. The whole point of a discussion is that both parties learn something from each other. For that, it is important to be willing to see the other person's perspective, even if you end up disagreeing with it. Sadly, most Bernie supporters on DU are not here to have a discussion but to insult and mock Hillary supporters.

By the way, posting GDP topics here, disguised as non-GDP topics, is dishonest and disrespectful of those who want to avoid the toxicity of GDP.