# A General FYI: If 20 People Say You're A Fuckwit . . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163 "2003-09-22T19:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/21 "2003-09-23T01:29:46Z")
Does history record what _Cromwell_ would have said or thought if that famous admonition had been given to _him_? Be careful with that sword; it has two edges. And don’t be misled by the number of supporters you have around you. You can easily find 1 or even 20 people to agree with you, and you’re most likely to find them among the friends who already tend to agree with you on most things. But the possibility still exists that _you’re_ the fuckwits, and just don’t know better because you’ve shut out anyone who tries to tell you differently. It means nothing that there’s only one of them in your current attention span. ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/22 "2003-09-23T01:44:43Z")
> [@](#): > > In the tinfoil hat club, ambushed wears a modest fedora, while Beryl sports a towering stovepipe of insanity. > _Waverly_ Yeah, but [rul="[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82431](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82431)] **SeeThruArt** had the fucking _SOMBRERO_! ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/23 "2003-09-23T01:46:25Z")
Let’s try that [_again_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82431) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/24 "2003-09-23T01:50:37Z")
Dude, stop it. Just let this sink in for a while. It’s a thing of beauty. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\*But anyone can muster up a frothy-mouthed meltdown. You have to have a genuine defect to insult every participant in a thread line-by-line, complete with psychedelic red and blue highlights. In the tinfoil hat club, ambushed wears a modest fedora, while Beryl sports a towering stovepipe of insanity. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/25 "2003-09-23T02:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Does history record what Cromwell would have said or thought if that famous admonition had been given to him? Well, no. No, it doesn’t, history being lamentably deficient in recording things that were never said, or that would have been thought, in hypothetical situations unrelated to reality. Get right on that, historians! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/26 "2003-09-23T02:11:50Z")
I’m sure you got my point, Jodi. ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/27 "2003-09-23T03:12:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Zenster: If you want Opal to post it, make damn sure she doesn’t find out it’s defending me in a way. \*\* Monty, Opal isn’t the only one who submits to the Page-O-Flames, and the others actually… There are a few dopers hanging around that post funnies, flames and such as they see them. ~J ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/28 "2003-09-23T10:14:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*Zenster: If you want Opal to post it, make damn sure she doesn’t find out it’s defending me in a way. \*\* I’m sure your nemesis, ambushed, is a fine lunatic, but I was mimicking my personal favorite lunatic of the moment, Beryl, up above. I wanted to read your calling-out party, but I got really, really bored by the repetition and had to quit the thread. I’m sure you don’t really need defending anyway. In fact, I’m a bit jealous of you. I’d like to have an arch enemy of my own. All I have is one lonely twit who likes aim a drive-by at me every so often, but who quickly scurries away if I actually take notice of him/her. I can offer you the lonely twit and a 2nd round draftpick for ambushed… let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/29 "2003-09-23T10:54:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jodi \* > Well, no. No, it doesn’t, history being lamentably deficient in recording things that were never said, or that would have been thought, in hypothetical situations unrelated to reality. I think it might be appropriate in the case of Cromwell, one of few historical figures who couldn’t have an adequate execution arranged in time for his death. Having missed out on a more traditional ceremony, he was exhumed and executed posthumously. His head unfortunately was unable to attend the ceremony, having been interred elsewhere. What does that plaque say on tower hill? “I saw John Brown the other day, hung drawn and quartered… he looked as cheerful as any a man could, given his condition." Or something to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/30 "2003-09-23T11:01:04Z")
If this really is another thread about the **Monty–ambushed** debacle, then shame on you **Jodi** to waste yet more bandwidth. If 20 people say you’re a fuckwit, then that means 20 people say you’re a fuckwit, nothing more. Truth is not a matter to be decided by popularist vote. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/31 "2003-09-23T11:07:25Z")
And truth is not a matter to be decided by calling everyone who disagrees with you a liar, either. \* I think this is more about the **Beryl\_Mooncalf** debacle. Jodi hasn’t _really_ been involved in the **ambushed** meltdown. \*[sub]I know, you haven’t done that. But your last line was very similar to one of ambushed’s lines, so I had to comment[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/32 "2003-09-23T11:18:04Z")
My gosh, I’m witnessing something similar to this on another message board (an art-related board). One guy, rambles and rambles in a deluded manner, while other people (some polite, some impatient) all tell him in various different ways that his posting manner is _ineffective,_ and that the ideas he is presenting are WACKED. (Though some are more polite about with the “WACKED” thing.) And all this does is prompt him to write longer and more rambling, deluded posts, explaining how victimized he is, how “mean” everyone is to him, how “abusive” everyone is to him (even though he dishes out far more abuse than he generally gets), and how utterly wonderful, brilliant and “fair” he is. And on and on _and on_. He’ll proclaim that he’s “going away for good!” and things will be quiet for a while, but then he’ll come back and it’s the same thing all over. It just keeps on and on. I don’t know where these people come from. Some sort of Loony Central, perhaps? The writing style is different enough with these people, so I know they’re not just one person, but seriously—what _is_ the deal here? Where do these loonies come from? What are they like in Real Life? Are they on meds? What? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/33 "2003-09-23T11:19:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*I think this is more about the **Beryl\_Mooncalf** debacle. Jodi hasn’t _really_ been involved in the **ambushed** meltdown. \*\* But we have a perfectly good [**Beryl\_Mooncalf** is a fuckwit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=211820) thread too. Poll: I am I fuckwit for thinking that flaming threads that spawn endless other flaming threads are never the most worthy, and just add to the clutter? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/34 "2003-09-23T11:34:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*And truth is not a matter to be decided by calling everyone who disagrees with you a liar, either. \*\* Why not? It works for Bill O’Reilly. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/35 "2003-09-23T12:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jodi \* > \*\*LOL. 🙂 > > Look, I’m not saying the opinions of 20 random morons; I’m saying the opinions of the people you’re having the conversation with. And while it may be reasonable to expect that one or some of them may be a moron/morons, it is not reasonable to believe that _every single one of them_ is a moron.\*\* Shows how much you know. I have conversations with 20 random morons **every day**. The fact that they’re all in my head is irrelevant - no it isn’t! No it isn’t! ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/36 "2003-09-23T13:43:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Unwashed \* > I am I fuckwit for thinking that flaming threads that spawn endless other flaming threads are never the most worthy, and just add to the clutter? I think combining elements from the various fuckwit threads and stating your annoyance at an identified trend is less fuckwitty than attempting to proclaim yourself fuckwit-arbiter in judgment of which fuckwit rants are most worthy. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/37 "2003-09-23T14:21:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Poll: > I am I fuckwit for thinking that flaming threads that spawn endless other flaming threads are never the most worthy, and just add to the clutter? Nope. I started to read this thread, then got mired in the Ambushed one, and am too frightened to open the Beryl one. I have too many windows open and I’m starting to get confused … and my head hurts … I think I need another coffee … too many fuckwits ! … wanders off to find a nice customer-service-horror-story thread … ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/38 "2003-09-23T14:41:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Heh, Cromwell also said “Do not trust the cheering, for those persons would shout as much if you or I were going to be hanged.” \*\* /rushes off to user cp to rip this for a sig ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/39 "2003-09-23T15:01:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\*I think combining elements from the various fuckwit threads and stating your annoyance at an identified trend is less fuckwitty than attempting to proclaim yourself fuckwit-arbiter in judgment of which fuckwit rants are most worthy. \*\* Ah, so you subscribe to the fuckwitful notion that fuckwittery is a relative term and that gross fuckwittery ought to be adjusted for the fuckwittery it condemns giving us a net fuckwittery index with which to judge thread-worth? I’m an absolutist myself – fuckwittery is fuckwittery is fuckwittery. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163/40 "2003-09-23T15:33:52Z")
I myself like to sit on the back porch and fuckwhittle the livelong day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-general-fyi-if-20-people-say-youre-a-fuckwit/203163.md?page=3)