One thing I always hated about microblogs and their character limits was that it was just enough characters to spout stupid bullshit but never enough to explain to why it's wrong.

There are some people who have just been filled with so much wrong information over the course of their life that it's impossible to reach them. Anything you say to them will have a keyword that puts their guard up, any fact you share would be fake news. It's like their brains have been encrypted with the propaganda and hate. It's pavlovian. I try to recognize it in myself and maintain an open mind but it's hard.

"Never argue with stupid people because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." George Carlin

The common pattern I see often is that they simply refuse to address or even acknowledge your points and instead just spout even more bullshit. Once I see that, I just block and move on.

I have no time for intellectually dishonest people.

So often it's me typing out a big old comment. Realizing I can preempt some nuance to help the conversation. Thinking of a dozen more little nitpicks that might happen and realizing it's just not worth it and it's really the idiocy of the argument that's making it so hard to explain myself.

I met a guy in a sauna the other day who started preaching to me and saying that he doesn't believe in science because it contradicts the bible story of creation.

I just had nothing to say to this man. His perception of reality is so far off base that I cannot comprehend his thought processes.

Gish galloping is a well known argumentative technique to avoid scrutiny. It works so well, that now the US government is using a version of it to destroy the government at a rapid pace.

Yeah, everytime Kenny the fascist comes to tell me the woah's of the world from his perspective. They get one conversation when I establish their position. The second convo is to establish my own. The third and subsequent conversations are purposefully hostile.

You have to maintain hygiene when dealing with these creatures.

7/10 ppl online.

But w lemme its still 7/10....but there's obly like 10 users so I can handle it.

MAGAs. Sometimes I don't even debate them, I ignore them and talk about them as if they weren't there, make fun of their arguments, laugh at them, mock them, just generally bully them, without even addressing them directly. They really hate that.

MAGAs and Anti-Vaxxers are about the only acceptable bullying targets, and they should be bullied as viciously and as relentlessly as possible. The damage they have done is incalculable, they deserve it.

In science there is an answer "you are not even wrong" which is a polite way of saying that wat you said makes so little sense, that it cannot even be disproven.

"Right extremists are defending Democracy"

Just 2 weeks ago and I still haven't recovered from hearing that in person.

In my wise old age I don't waste time on fools. I no longer have the patience. I used to try to talk them out of whatever stupidity they're peddling and it was rarely successful. Not worth the effort.

See

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gish_gallop

That fact that there is a term for it is just as depressing.

I see you have met my in-laws. This isn't just some boomer humor, they have truly transcended their Fox News addicted roots and now get really angry about aliens, chemtrails, and all sorts of bullshit.

I have heard the way to do it, is to take their crazy and take it WAY past their line until they back off themselves.

Moron: "There are only two genders!"
Normal: "Right?!"
Moron: "Ma-"
Normal: "Trans and supergay".

No comment on the contents of my example. It's the only comic strip I remember at the moment.

It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with an idiot.

Yes, I block them, after I make sure that they're insistent on being disingenuous, and not merely misinformed.

Related: Pretty sure I've blocked most of the .world moderators/admins at this point.

Yes, i have meet a person before. I have also commented on the internet.

I used to work with people who would smoke whatever weed their friend gave them but wouldn't get the covid vaccine because "you don't know what's in it"

online arguments never change minds, they only serve to galvanize each persons prior beliefs

I live in rual northern Nevada and everyone here is hardcore brainwashed republicans. I used to try to correct them when they said dumb shit but it just made me look stupid, so now I just watch and listen to there ramblings. It’s more entertaining for me and less of a headache.

Its unethical to have a battle of wits against an unarmed opponent.

The denominator is divisible by the numerator.

1/5

Every maga I come across. Just a bag full of excuses for pedophiles.

I wish more people simply... Learned how to shut up.