Showing posts with label Other Peoples Opinions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Peoples Opinions. Show all posts
Why is it that society has recently become so offended and intolerant about everything?
It’s a socially acceptable form of bullying, pure and simple.
Anyone
who takes offence is a bully because they’re demanding that you
change your behaviour for no other reason than they don’t like it.
Instead of shouting “Discrimination”, people should be forced to
shout “She’s a witch! She’s a witch! Burn her” so that
everyone can see the reprehensible behaviour for what it is.
Occasionally,
people take offence at what I say. No, it’s true. I know it’s
hard to believe but it is true
Them:
“You have offended me”
Me:
“So?”
Them:
“Well, you should change”
Me:
“Why? Just because you’re offended doesn’t make you right.
Maybe you’re wrong to be offended and should change”
Them:
“I have every right to be offended.”
Me:
“Yes, you do. But your demand that anyone else should change solely
based on your taking offence is a restriction of their rights”
People
only use offence when they have no other argument. It’s like when
people claim a behaviour is immoral, you know that they have nothing
else.
Let’s
take a simple one: discrimination.
If
someone accuses me of discrimination, three things happen which
should a complete anathema to civilised people:
- I am presumed guilty until proven innocent. What? Our entire principle of law is thrown out. How is that justifiable?
- There is no standard measure for me to prove my innocence because it’s down to my accuser to decide if I’m innocent. Why don’t we just bring back the Dunking Chair or the Iron Maiden and have done with it?
- The person doing the accusing isn’t questioned. They are presumed to be making this complaint for fair and good reasons and have no hidden agenda. If someone made a complaint to the police that they had been assaulted, the first thing that the police would do is check their story by collecting evidence. The police will presume that the complaint is valid but they will still check.
So,
just remember that anyone labelling you in this way is assaulting
your human rights. The only way they can do that is assault human
rights as a whole, including their own. In my mind, that makes the
whole thing kind of stupid. But, hey, that’s only my opinion.
Let’s
be clear
- You have the right to disagree with me
- You have the right to disagree with me out loud - either vocally or in writing
- You have the right to feel whatever you want to feel about disagreeing with me - including taking offence.
- But you don’t have the right to demand that I change my beliefs, opinions and/or behaviour just because you’re upset by them.
DISCLAIMER:
I’m not a lawyer and nothing I’ve said here should be construed
as legal counsel in any jurisdiction.
Credit:
The header image is available as wallpaper from Wall.Alphacoders.com
What is the best resource to demonstrate to people that anecdotes are not evidence?
You can't.
You
might as well try to catch moonbeams in a jar.
The
reason people use anecdotes is solely because they want to justify
their stupid opinion. The anecdote doesn't even have to have a
semblance of truth.
Someone
once told me a clever joke which I didn't get at the time
"Is
the plural of anecdote, data?"
The
reason I didn't get it is because this definition of anecdote implies
that it is just like a case history which I don't believe. Anecdotes,
by their very nature, are super-selective about what they're telling
you. Take the example:
"My
Uncle Bulgaria smoked 5 packs of cigarettes a day and drank 3 bottles
of whiskey and he lived to be 93"
That
may be true, but what they don't tell you is that his lungs and liver
were so shot that the man couldn't walk 5 paces without losing his
breath.
Take
my favourite:
"Oh
my friend knows some guy who tried the Atkins Diet and he got a bad
reaction"
Really?
How long did he try it? Did he try doing it or did he just mess
around with it? What kind of bad reaction? What was the guy's name?
What's your friend's name?"
Many
people have used anecdote to justify their position to me and when I
ask simple questions like those above, they run away and hide because
they know that it's bullshine-parading-as-evidence.
My
suggestion is: leave them be. If they wish to believe nonsense, that
is their democratic right
Credit:
The header image is available as wallpaper from Wall.Alphacoders.com
How can I get people interested in being my friend?
Don't
If
you have to make an effort to get someone to be your friend, they're
not worth it
There
are over 7 billion people on the planet (and counting). Unless you
desperately want 7 billion friends, you can afford to be picky.
Be
yourself and see who responds.
Anyone
who doesn't, wish them well and let them go on their path.
Yes,
it really is that simple.
Yes,
it would be nice if the people you come into contact with every day,
liked you. But it's not necessary. In fact, most of them don't even
know you exist.
Yes,
it would be nice to have loads of friends. Actually, it isn't. It's a
real drag because most of them only want to be your friend while they
get something from you. A real friend is someone gives as much as
they receive
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