Intellectual bullies- have you come across them?

by dido 45 Replies latest jw friends

  • Beardo
    Beardo

    I know if I wanted smilies and popularity and 'well met Abaddon' fluff I should be less honest. But I don't want to be dishonest to be popular.

    First; what part of DISCUSSION FORUM don't you understand? I don't see 'agreement' forum ANYWHERE

    You join a discussion about evolution and creation. Virtually every post you make reveals just how little you know about the biological sciences (you might not like this but it is a fact). Despite this you persist in (without any effort or study on your part) blandly acting as though your uninformed opinion was something that mattered to a discussion about evolution or creation. You act surprised when people DISCUSS your opinion with you and offended when they point out that you are uninformed about the subject. How can one have a discussion with someone if you are not allowed to point out the other is wrong and/or doesn't know what they are talking about (if this is the case).

    Should we lie to protect your ego, or fawn over your opinions without questioning them?

    Yours (on evolution) is simply one that shows you haven't studied the subject; I love talking to Creationists who really really know a lot about evolution but to this date I can count them on the fingers of one hand. Check the threads, it is always the same;

    1. Insistent Creationist who doesn't know much about evolution.
    2. Well-informed evolutionists who also know about Creationism.
    3. Creationist gets upset their lack of knowledge about evolution gets pointed out but carries on like nothing happened (no "Gollly, I didn't know that").
    4. Evolutionists get increasingly exasperated at having to explain simple details of theory Creationist has assumed they know enough about to discard as rubbish.
    5. Exit Creationist in a huff saying how unfair it all is.

    ... the follow-on "boo-hoo" thread is optional...

    You will find someone who has strong opinions and can show they have valid or arguable reasons for those gets a different reaction to someone who has strong opinons but shows they know next to nothing about the subject they have strong opinions on. Despite the outcome of these two scenarios depending on the level of knowledge of the person with strong opinions, you make it out you're being hard done by. No consideration of your attitude sucking what-so-ever.

    You're still a complete git Abaddon - but I do agree with the above

    Dido - try not to take these things too personally, its hard, but necessary. He is a git, but certain aspects of what he is saying do make sense.

    The world needs gits. We learn by coming up against opposition at times

  • AuldSoul
    AuldSoul
    dido: AuldSaul- you have just given an example with your play on words.

    It wasn't a play on words. My point is elitists come in all stripes. Intellectualists, religionists, racists, politicists, they are all called bullies but their perceived aggression is often nothing more than snide disdain for others. If it is any kind of abuse, it is emotional. I rarely see actual emotional abuse here, and the perpetrators are usually viewed by the majority as the bad guys.

    Now, I am assuming you are in good faith not referring to a specific thread. I am assuming you are talking about intellectualists in general, not certain ones you've had run-ins with, recently. If I am wrong, then in my opinion you have presented this topic under false pretenses.

    From what I have seen on this forum you are a religious elitist. There are many of them here. You treat people who don't agree with your views with disdain, even if they only disagree with some portion of your views. You have been rather snide in your requests for information on several occasions, as though it was a foregone conclusion there was no way anyone could fulfill your request.

    By your description of intellectual "bullies" you, and others here, fit the bill for the name religious "bullies" which makes both groups bullies. I thought I was giving you the benefit of the doubt by saying extremists (on all sides) are usually only elitists, and not actually bullies.

    But if you choose to lump me in with intellectual elitists or bullies, you go right ahead. I will not keep silent about the fact that I find your choice grossly hypcritical, nor will I pat you on the back consolingly while you cry out about the injustice of the very same elitist tactics you use, yourself. Just because you don't do it with book smarts doesn't mean you don't do it.

    AuldSoul

  • Fe2O3Girl
    Fe2O3Girl

    Just so I can be clear about what you all think of me - anyone who has been academically successful, or put in the effort to learn, is arrogant and unpleasant, is that right?

  • AuldSoul
    AuldSoul
    Abaddon: If I am an intellectual bully for not satisfying people' egotistic insistence they know better than tens of thousands of scientists, so be it. Or maybe I just call a duck a duck because of the evidence it supplies and some people don't like being called a duck?

    To be fair, my father asked me whether I thought I had it right while more than 6,000,000 other people had it wrong. Personally, I find appeal to that sort of numeric authority to be a blatant logical fallacy. I am surprised and disappointed that you used it.

    Respectfully,
    AuldSoul

  • Abaddon
    Abaddon

    dido

    My advice is to quit whilst you are no further behind than you already are.You seem to call people intellectual bullies if they;

    • Point out you really don't know what you are talking about
    • Don't symathise with the predicatment you got yourself into

    But should it come as any surprise that someone who admits they don't know much about evolution (yet decides it is wrong anyway and refuses to even consider studying the subject) should be equally incapable of admitting their errors or taking personal responsibility in other areas of their life? I love the way you're SO concieted you act like the other thread cannot exist without your great mind taking part in it...

    As I have more chance of converting my cat to vegetarianism than of having you accept your attitude sucks I won't bother paddling in your whirlpool of self-obsession unless I can make a joke I find really amusing...

  • hillary_step
    hillary_step

    Dido,

    List of bullies so far Genesis, Funkyderek, Abaddon, anymore want to go on the list while i`m here?

    Yes please.

    HS

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    Please remember Dido, that many ex-JW's learned from the experts at WTS that strongly expressed opinions to the flock will be accepted because they beat it into them.

    Also, it is a habit of Mankind to state that He is an expert, knows everything he is talking about (History, science, medicine, religion, politics) until it changes. Once knowledge has to be acknowledged and a change takes place, Mankind stays the same by saying "Well, yes, our former understanding had to be changed with new (ligh) discoveries, but NOW WE FULLY UNDERSTAND."

  • AuldSoul
    AuldSoul

    FerrousOxideGirl,

    That CAN'T be it. Dido apparently thinks I am an intellectual bully although I am a sixth-grade dropout with a only a GED, was ignorant enough to get myself stuck in a cult for 31 years, and I am a Christian. I can't make heads or tails of her criteria.

    Apparently, the ability to apply logic, the willingness to respectfully disagree while clearly defending why, and a capacity to communicate verbally in a cogent manner is the minimum required to be an intellectual bully.

    Respectfully,
    AuldSoul

  • funkyderek
    funkyderek

    dido:

    List ogf bullies so far Genesis, Funkyderek, Abaddon, anymore want to go on the list while i`m here?

    You'll probably get a few more, like Genesis, who will weigh in and try to help you see reason but a few more rounds of disparaging everyone you disagree with, and ignoring all reasoned arguments should get people to stop trying. People have to want to think and you obviously don't, so rest assured, I for one won't be "bullying" you any longer.

  • dido
    dido

    hilary_step (i wouldn`t class you as an intellectual tho`)

    AuldSoul- i hadn`t added you to the list, but i can if you want?

    Abaddon- get a life.

    OTWO- i know, old habits die hard don`t they? Some have def brought it with them!

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