bentarm comments on When Truth Isn't Enough - Less Wrong

91 Post author: Yvain 22 March 2009 08:23PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (55)

You are viewing a single comment's thread.

Comment author: bentarm 22 March 2009 10:24:32PM 2 points [-]

There's an old quote that poor people are crazy and rich people eccentric... I'm sure someone can come up with a third word to fill in the trio.

I think this technique is often useful in arguments, and I imagine most people here use it to some extent. A reasonable summary of "YSITTBIDWTCIYSTEIWEWITTAW", is "true, but so what?" (although we might need something with a less aggressive connotation...). Although this may be part of the "Dark Arts", it's often very unnerving when you're arguing with someone when they accept without question factual statements you were all set to have to defend to the hilt.

I'm well-off, you're wealthy, they're ultra-rich.

Comment author: billswift 22 March 2009 11:37:29PM 0 points [-]

I'm normal, you're eccentric, he's crazy.

Comment author: Z_M_Davis 22 March 2009 11:43:21PM 13 points [-]

Shouldn't this be "I'm unique [...]"?

Comment author: badger 22 March 2009 10:44:33PM 3 points [-]

I can't think of a word that sits well between eccentric and crazy, but the following works similarly:

I'm eccentric. You're unusual. He's a freak.

Comment author: Jawaka 22 March 2010 02:44:33AM 0 points [-]

There was a three-page version of this joke in all variations in a Mad Magazine. Too bad it's probably not even in the deep web not in the web at all.