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 … Continue reading Argument Whack-a-mole
Category: About arguing
The Argument Pyramid
Officially named Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement, this graphic categorises the quality of an argument, from clear refutation right down to simply insulting the other person. It is a visual representation of Paul Graham's excellent piece from 2008 How to Disagree: a short but incredibly clear blog article which I really recommend reading. The reason this … Continue reading The Argument Pyramid
The Selective Advocate
Someone who is suddenly interested in a vulnerable minority group only when it suits their agenda. A classic example is the favourite fall-back for bigots that ‘money shouldn’t be spent on refugees – we should look after our homeless veterans first’ - despite never showing the slightest interest in reducing homelessness at any other time. … Continue reading The Selective Advocate
The Askhole
Asks moronic, off-topic, irrelevant questions, expects everyone else to run around answering them. Genuine curiosity is a good thing – derailing the conversation with deliberately obtuse side questions is not. Clues this is an Askhole and not a genuinely interested person: Asks bizarre, impossibly esoteric questions.Asks things that could be found out in two seconds … Continue reading The Askhole
Wrong Arguments 