• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Argument FAQ: Assembling the building blocks

Lucille

New member
A lot of people really get their panties in a wad when discussing stuff. That is probably good if you own a panty company, but not so much if you are on a site and have a different opinion on a certain subject that you would like to mention on the wadder's thread.

Too many times, drama llamas cause ill feelings and create snafus; perhaps a few are genetically llamas but most may simply not realize the basics of disagreeing while retaining respect for each of the participants when opinions differ.

Here are some random building blocks/opinions on argument. I think that before building a FAQ or anything else it is good to assemble materials; please add your own thoughts here:

Have fun and strut your stuff on this construction site to facilitate the job of the builders who will hopefully stop by later and play with the building blocks provided to create something useful.

1) Say what you mean, and mean what you say (morphed from Dr. Seuss)
2) Avoid ad hominem arguments, where instead of addressing the issues you attack a specific person
3)A long dispute means that both parties are wrong
Voltaire
4)A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool who knows what he is talking about.
Anonymous
5)He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with, has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.
Benjamin Franklin
6)If you argue with a woman and win, you lose.
Anonymous
7)The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face.
Sidney J. Harris
8)We must not contradict, but instruct him that contradicts us; for a madman is not cured by another running mad also.
Antisthenes
 
7)The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face.
Sidney J. Harris
I think this quote was plagiarised from Sun Tzu... The art of war...
He said.... Leave your enemy a golden bridge for them to retreat....
About 1000 yrs before ol' Sid said it.... LOL
Great thread though and some real food for thought.... Especially the bit about arguing with women.... LOL
 
:) Thank you. There are a lot of talented people here, I notice some even have their own forums, so lots of people with organizational abilities. I'm hoping that with the suggestions and observations left here, a FAQ may someday emerge and llamas will, like the dinosaurs, become extinct.

(Or maybe we can put them on an island, what was that movie with all the dinosaurs on an island park that didn't work out so well?)
 
I don't like #6. It's a REALLY sexist remark, and super-duper offensive. Now bow to my wishes, and immediately remove #6 from the board before I create a GBCW thread (that goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on).
 
I don't like #6. It's a REALLY sexist remark, and super-duper offensive. Now bow to my wishes, and immediately remove #6 from the board before I create a GBCW thread (that goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on).


I don't think the site has to pay much extra even if you have a thread a zillion posts long, I'm not really into this computer stuff tho. So bring it, sister :D
 
Wonderful thread, Lucille. One that moves in the direction away from chaos and toward consensus, or at least toward order. I have some good (corny) ones, and even some with religious origins. But as you said, you are asking for building blocks.

Hmmmm....as I look at them, below, some look pretty saccharine. But just ignore the ones that don't appeal to you, folks.

That silence is one of the great arts of conversation is allowed by Cicero himself , who says there is not only an art , but an eloquence in it .
~~ St . Thomas More

I have made a pact with my tongue , not to speak when my heart is disturbed . ~~ St . Francis de Sales

… but he who holds his tongue is wise . ~~ Proverbs 10 : 19

With a sweet tongue and kindness , you can drag an elephant by a hair . ~~ Persian Proverb

… the tongue of the wise brings healing . ~~ Proverbs 12 : 18

One is often sorry for saying a harsh word , but will never regret saying a kind one . ~~ Scottish Proverb

...wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning … ~~ Proverbs 10 : 11 - 13

Let the words I speak today be soft and tender , for tomorrow I may have to eat them ! ~~ Author Unknown

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult , but with blessing , because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing .
~~ I Peter 3 : 9
 
I don't think the site has to pay much extra even if you have a thread a zillion posts long, I'm not really into this computer stuff tho. So bring it, sister :D

Oh don't make me snap my fingers in a z-formation!!!! (Okay, that looks stupid when typed out... so much cooler in person)
 
Well, Lucille, Yeah, I have collected many over the years. Some of those are pretty lofty.
But I don't want to come off as a hypocrite.
I NEED, them, to hopefully prevent me from running off at the mouth. I am a passionate person, and only human.
It is much easier to collect them, than it is to remember to always use them. :D ;)
 
Great thread lucille!!!




1) Say what you mean, and mean what you say (morphed from Dr. Seuss)
That's my signature on Fauna. I heard that many years ago and the wisdom of it has always stuck with me.I didn't know it was from the Doc, Do you know where exactly?
 
Kyle, I was wondering where it was from exactly, myself. It appears to be not from any book or story in particular, but paraphrased by a quote by the man himself, known as "Dr. Seuss", Theodor Seuss Geisel. (Multiple googles.)

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
 
Kyle, I was wondering where it was from exactly, myself. It appears to be not from any book or story in particular, but paraphrased by a quote by the man himself, known as "Dr. Seuss", Theodor Seuss Geisel.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
Eric, I just found this
"Say what you mean and mean what you say " - Cheshire Cat
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/famous/cheshire_cat/say_what_you_mean_and_mean_what_you_say__2099
So I guess according to that it's Lewis Carroll's, not much info on the link though?
 
Well, that would make sense. Cheshire Cat and Lewis Carroll certainly predates Dr. Seuss.
No doubt and it just 'sounds right' more in line with Carroll's writing style...now if it had said

" mean what you say said the fish as he swam,swam ,quickly away and say what you mean with a green jelly bean"

that would be different, and I probably wouldn't have it in my sig. lol
 
Back
Top