This is the beginning of a quote from Mark Twain. The full quote reads, “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and the beat you with experience.” When you argue with a stupid person the problem is first, you can’t win and second, anyone watching may not be able to tell the difference, so it looks to them like two stupid people are going at it. You’ll be labelled as a stupid person as well. As Shannon L. Alder put it, “Arguing with idiots (stupid people) is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how good you are, the bird is going to sh*# on the board and strut around like it won anyway.”
One Sentence Wisdom
- It’s useless to argue with someone who believes their own lies.” — Daily Health Post
- The best argument is no argument with difficult people.” — Mary Jo Rapini
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Dr. Reck, so well put and timely for our current political situation! Linda and I both laughed and then made a copy of your article for future reference and entertainment.
Thank you!
Yes, this is a tricky one, indeed; ego must be abandoned if one wants to embrace truth. Pursuit of logic and a willingness to admit truthfulness must prevail in order to rise above ‘stupidity.’ Yes, it can be embarrassing to say, “I was wrong.” But embracing the truth isn’t only good for that person, but also for the rest of humanity, due to the positive ripple effects!
Egos can shield like iron doors. Good luck trying to bust it open. It has to come from the inside, in a similar fashion to someone overcoming addiction. It doesn’t matter how many interventions that person gets – if they don’t want to change, they’re not going to.
Thanks for the post, Ross! And I’ll raise a glass to Beauty, Freedom, Truth and Love!