# At what point does a person not deserve any respect because of their POV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 16, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-a-person-not-deserve-any-respect-because-of-their-pov/456626 "2008-07-16T00:49:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-a-person-not-deserve-any-respect-because-of-their-pov/456626/21 "2008-07-17T02:14:50Z")
It’s almost impossible to change anyone’s mind with a logical argument, but it really is impossible to do it with ridicule. If a lot of people believe something, that doesn’t mean they can’t be wrong, but they’re probably not stupidly wrong. Remembering this can save you from saying that theists are drooling nitwits, hunters are bloodthirsty savages, or Shakespeare was just a hack who strung a bunch of common quotations together. Three guys on their porch, saying NASA won’t admit that the Earth is shaped like a tampon? Sure, they’re idiots. But you might want to keep that to yourself if you hope to convince them otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-a-person-not-deserve-any-respect-because-of-their-pov/456626/22 "2008-07-17T05:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=Dumbguy] [Really?](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/22/opinion/polls/main965223.shtml) [/QUOTE] Yes, really. I know about polls like that. That’s why I said “the wider world,” and not “America.” Besides which, I’ve always had a vague feeling that such polls are “wrong” somehow. ETA: But that’s another thread. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-a-person-not-deserve-any-respect-because-of-their-pov/456626.md?page=1)