Poncho, I realize that my tone can easily be mistook in my writings on a forum. I tried to explain my reasoning just like you have asked, I even went into depth but obviously I have continued to offend you which becomes pretty apparent when someone starts off their reply the way you just did, so for offending I’ll apologize.
Now you have started out asking me another question while bringing up my critical thinking skills in a way to be insulting while putting words into my mouth to assign a sort of arrogant elitism, which you should probably admit, to be truthful, is clearly meant to be a personal attack. To be honest, I can be very patient and forgiving to people that are attacking me while explaining my reasoning to them, but I hesitate to answer it here because I suspect you’re more interested in a fight than listening to me break down your “argument’s” sentence structure into premises, claims and issues as per critical thinking skills and get down to the truths about it.
Here is my thinking, your first premise (after opening your “argument” by throwing out an Ad hominem and an attempt to “poison the well”) is about my goal trying to draw out the truth. …So, first I look at the message (premise) you opened with, which is about “how I think I’m all that” and then I think about your claims and issues after coming to the obvious conclusion that your opening is clearly demonstrating some frustration here.
I know the best course is, if I want to get to the truths, is to forego personal attacks and get to the claims and issues.
Therefore, your first issue being, “Wow dude you sure do use a lot of words to say” is also sending messages about the subject, such as perhaps the “truth” of which I presume we agree the goal should be to draw out, is that you’re not sincerely interested in the argument(s) being broke down.
The practical response here, then, is to probably just consider that it is illogical for you to suggest that I can break down and explain an argument in detail without using a lot of words, which isn’t a very rational request. But, if you really want to get into CTS (critical thinking skills) to draw out the truth that’s where it begins.
The second issue you bring up begins by putting words into my mouth ("I'm the smartest most critical thinking guy on the board") that are meant to suggest I’m an arrogant elitist rather than simply sharing ideas. Just how you expect me to answer that is anything but bringing about an attempt to begin a reasonable discussion.
But frankly, I see your opening argument for what it is (an offensive rhetorical device containing an Ad Hominem) and rather than being offending and getting my emotions all stirred up about it and striking back with all the offensive rhetoric I can muster I feel have more important things to consider. Such as, not getting caught up in a “street fight” argument and would rather actually attempt to answer some of your questions.
Pertaining to drawing out the truth with CTS and “belittling your source and laughing at you”, although, the credibility of your source is fair game in a true debate there are certainly better ways to go about the objective of questioning your source. I used a comical demonstration (a rhetorical horse laugh) about something (such as offering a lead to a news story that might be stereotypically turned into hyper sensationalism) which seemed humorous to me considering the environment of the discussion I was getting involved in, which I wasn’t really considering anyone there having the goals of drawing out the truth in a real debate (why I typically stayed far away from that forum for the 10+ years when I posted more regularly here), so frankly, I wasn’t taking the conversion very seriously. Although, I generally try to stay away from the personal attacks regardless I thought I was going with the flow and keeping it lighthearted with a little humor but apparently you took it as me being offensive.
We have both been here 12 years and I would guess have had at least a dozen exchanges in that time. I have seen the “conspiracy theorist” thrown around with you countless times and figured you knew me well enough to know I was laughing with you and not at you on that subject of your source.
You were either offended or you were not.
You brought that discussion into this thread for a reason, (I'll leave the truth behind that to you) and after my reply started your next response on the attack while accusing me of being condescending throughout your post and, now, I really don’t expect any explanation, no matter how gentle I try to be, that I give you will go by without you taking it and making endless claims that it or I are an offensive to you.
Back to the beginning, I took the time to collect a smilie to help communicate the message that I was merely having a “horse laugh” with you and honestly didn’t think you would find it offensive. But, I’m not going to allow this escalate any further and think it better to just offer my apology for my oversights which made you feel you had a score to settle.
Be blessed.
