memes

To be fair, when you try it in person, they're all "Who are you? How did you get in my house? I'm calling the cops!", then it's no fun at all.

Of course it was.

They were wrong. How are they going to know they are wrong if no one tells them?

The end goal of debates is not to change your opponent's mind, but to present your ideas and reasoning to the people watching in a convincing way.

I stop when it is clear the other person is arguing in bad faith.

The block button is your strongest weapon against trolls.

Its my crack I can't stop coming back to all while hating every second of it

There's a weird dynamic to arguing online, particularly when it comes to political topics. Most of the time, you won't convince your counterpart. Maybe some point sticks with them later and you'll never know, but either way they're not really the target of the arguments. It's the (potential) audience that the argument is supposed to be for: People less emotionally invested in the conflict may take away something useful from the arguments, people on the fence about an issue might come around to your point, and people sharing your opinion will see that they're not alone and feel affirmed.

Essentially, it's a performance on an public stage for the sake of discourse. Phrased strongly, you don't want "the other side" to dominate the public opinion, so you engage them. In the process, you may hone your own arguments, or you may find them wanting, perhaps even see them start to crack.

Absolutely. There’s way too many blithering idiots online. We made the web way too accessible to them back in the ‘90’s.

And if idiots don’t get challenged, you run the risk of them thinking they’re actually right. And that’s very, very dangerous.

I will admit the only reason I attempt to verbally correct them is because I don’t have access to a Reaper drone to shove a Flying Ginsu missile up their ass.

It’s my favorite hobby.

At this point, every comment on Lemmy is greeted with angry responses who are willfully choosing to ignore the point I was making and try to fight me.

If I say “I like dogs” someone is going to come along and tell me I’m a jerk for not liking cats even though I didn’t say I don’t like cats. That or someone mansplaining dogs to me.

Calm down Lemmy. Take a breather.

Oh, I'm about to argue with one right now you little dumbass

Mostly, yes a lot!

Writing about my thoughts, opinions and positions has helped me understand them even better!

You're rarely going to change anyone's position online, as sadly most aren't arguing in good faith. BUT responding to rebuttals from others and questions (good faith or bad faith) leads to a very cool intellectual exercise where you get to probe your positions from so many different angles.

If things become toxic or brain-rotty, then you can just disengage without explanation! Kinda cool actually!!!

Pro tip: Never open your inbox.

I don't want to be on my death bed wishing I had argued more, so I'm doing what I can while I'm young and ornery

It's a hobby.

It is fun arguing with people you disagree with as long as both argues in good faith and has uses good etiquette. Both needs to be open minded to a certain degree.

The goal of a conversation is not to convince, but rather to explore your own and their mind. To grow together. A conversation is not a competition, we should not aim to "win" a conversation.

what was i supposed to do, let people just be wrong online?

yes.

Hello, fellow stranger online!

Laughs in does not read replies

Other people in this thread have already said it better than I could but in brief: Yes

I don’t have any friends still alive to argue with so I gotta fuss at sonsabitches I don’t know!

Was it worth it?

Well, we're clearly sitting on a picturesque beach on the Spanish Med, so... yeah? Sure, getting SWATted was no fun, and the bogus restraining orders were a real hassle, but ever since we had no choice but to leave the US things got a lot better.

Now, how about some sunscreen babe? You're gonna burn like that.

Before I realized there was no point 99% of the time, I didn't think it was a waste of time. Now if I'm feeling generous I think, at least on a platform like Lemmy, best you can hope is like 10% of the time you plant a seed for the person with a wrong idea or opinion that will eventually lead them to a better understanding. I certainly know that's happened to me before when I was wrong. So often, people make the online exchange feel awful though. There's a prominent attitude in many extremist/wrong viewpoints that not only are they right, everyone who thinks differently is an evil asshole.

Generally speaking, I don't argue with strangers on the internet with the goal of changing their minds or "educating" them. I mean, I do start with that intention...who doesn't? But by the time I am finished, I realize that I'm just clarifying my own thoughts and positions in my mind.

Yes, and if you don't agree you can debate me!

1000% worth it.

If you don't do challenge things, you let bullshit flourish and that influences societal views.

I can answer with confidence: sometimes!

Screw feelings. The truth is worth discovering.

I want her feet