Whack-a-mole is a game found in amusement arcades and fairgrounds where you attempt to hit mechanical moles as they pop up at random through holes in a board. As fast as you can whack ’em with a mallet, they pop right back from every hole – including the ones you already whacked.
The reason this game has been a favourite at fairs for such a long time is it’s unwinnable. Sure, you can try to hit a certain number of moles in a set time, but you are never going to actually beat the game. The moles will keep on popping up for the next person long after you walk away.
I would say that Argument Whack-a-mole is probably the most common argument style encountered on the internet; and in fact that social media makes it almost impossible to discuss subjects in any other way. The comments on any public opinion on Facebook will be constantly interrupted by new strangers making the same point you have just refuted (only less logically, with less punctuation and more caps lock). Trying to prove them all wrong will only make you angry and late for work (yes OK, I’m speaking to myself here).
But even in a one-on-one discussion with someone you actually want to engage, watch out for Argument Whack-a-mole. If you have just spent ten minutes composing a careful response to their point only to find them suddenly change tack to a completely new angle, take a breath before biting.
There are often half a dozen stock arguments on any given subject, each one superficially appealing to common sense but bearing little close examination. But half a dozen is a nice number to cycle through before going back to the first one, slightly reworded. It uses your good faith and earnest desire to answer the arguments against you, exhausting you just as quickly as wielding the whack-a-mole mallet at the fair.
Changing tack is usually a sign that you are starting to get to the heart of the matter. Simply pointing out what’s going on can sometimes be enough. Instead of getting drawn off on a new angle you could try saying something like:
- “You have changed direction in your argument and you are now talking about women’s sexual partners. I assume that means you accept the points I have made about embryos not having consciousness.” or
- “Would you like to finish discussing the pay gap before we move onto workplace conditions, or do you agree with the statistics I provided?”
This will almost certainly enrage your counterpart. They may then move down a level on the Argument Pyramid by questioning your legitimacy or insulting you. You probably won’t ‘win’ the argument (barely anyone ever does) but you can call them out on what is happening. And as ever on social media, it’s not just an argument between two people. You never know who is watching, not sure who they agree with. You never know who else agreed with you speaking out and felt supported by a stranger’s comment.
Wrong Arguments 