# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 156
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3356 "2024-10-18T18:37:19Z")
“…and poverty-stricken Irish selling their babies is a terrible idea that would never actually work to address the problems of income inequality in Ireland.” ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3357 "2024-10-18T18:40:20Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > He just wasn’t right for this place. He wasn’t right for this century. SA really needed to have been born in the 30s, for his own sake, anyway. He always thought society peaked back then. Wouldn’t make his personal views any better but at least he’d have plenty of like-minded company. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Drinking from the same well And drinking from a contaminated well that nobody else will touch doesn’t make one a free-thinking iconoclast. They laughed at Galileo. They laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3358 "2024-10-18T18:47:40Z")
To be paraphrasingly socratic, I know what I know, but, increasingly the stuff I don’t know is growing. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3359 "2024-10-18T18:47:50Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Thank you. Also Yuck. What a weird thread and weird defense. I’m surprised that you don’t remember that. The original thread was years before my time but the blowback from it rattled around for years. Even during my early time here people were prohibited from even mentioning it. [Note the number of hits in ATMB](https://boards.straightdope.com/search?q=paper%20towel%20%23about-this-message-board%20order%3Alatest). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3360 "2024-10-18T18:56:46Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > My thanks, sirrah, but I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself. I do! I ~~cut my teeth~~ bashed my skull ‘’‘debating’‘’ SA and I learned much. 😢 SA made me the poster (for better or wurst) that I am today! But I won’t blame SA for me committing awful wordplay. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3361 "2024-10-18T19:03:43Z")
I did not often find it worthwhile responding to SA as I did in that thread, but I’m glad I wasn’t defending the indefensible. Didn’t realize it was so long ago. Getting older is not as fun as I thought it would be in my youth. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3362 "2024-10-18T19:40:58Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Drinking from the same well does not make you smarter it’s just makes you crazy like everyone else. …yes, that’s the entire point of the story. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3363 "2024-10-18T19:41:38Z")
He actually spoke of you quite often, with affection and respect. Part of why I had to alleviate your suffering 😉 I intentionally avoided most of his posts here, as he acted quite differently here than in person. And he’s definitely still prone to idolizing “back in the day” but generally is a positive, up-beat person. It is quite odd knowing someone in person and online and for there to be such diverging personalities between the two. I’m not sure if his persona here was more of a fixation (and he’s definitely prone to fixations IRL) and he couldn’t stop doubling down on it or what. But I suppose that really he’s the only one that will ever know which version of himself is closest to the real one. I know him to be a kind, intelligent, generous-to-a-fault person. And he is capable of changing his mind on things - he said he couldn’t bring himself to vote for Trump in 2020 after some rather heated discussions with my sister and I. Although we haven’t discussed the current election… I’ve got a couple of weeks to badger him yet if needed! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3364 "2024-10-18T20:33:09Z")
Oh, my, thanks for telling me that, and please give him my warmest regards. I’m sorry our friendship had to end on such a sour note and wish him all the best – especially since he’s come around to Our Side on Trump! ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3365 "2024-10-18T23:30:51Z")
It’s beyond weird to see people playing up his persona off the board, given that the one he put on display here was _extremely_ odious-he got onto my ignore list rather quickly, and I learned to groan inwardly whenever I saw someone else quoting him. If I were forced to judge him strictly on that basis, I would have less than zero desire to engage with him in meatspace, assuming both would _have_ to be one and the same. Note this was apparently also true of **Clothahump**. [I’ll also note that mods traditionally have tended to quash banned user retrospectives, and one will likely be along soon to remind us all of that.] ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3366 "2024-10-18T23:45:04Z")
Just agreeing… ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3367 "2024-10-19T00:02:41Z")
> [@liirogue](#): > > I know him to be a kind, intelligent, generous-to-a-fault person. I think I once said to him “You CAN’T be like this at home…” Glad to hear he wasn’t! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3368 "2024-10-19T00:31:46Z")
Doper me is a nicer, calmer, less aggressive version of real me. If you imagine Doper me with 3 martinis in him, that’s real me at breakfast. Later in the day I get harsher. Once in awhile full frontal me comes out late at night and I get fussed at by mods or members. And deservedly so; that persona is a difficult personality at best. It’s refreshing / fun to ~~play~~ live the other character. Y’all are lucky I chose Doper me to be nicer than real me. Folks that choose the opposite combo (Doper worse than real) tend to get banned. As poor SA apparently chose to do with the predictable outcome. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3369 "2024-10-19T02:05:02Z")
I can remember reading that thread in real time, and being absolutely flabbergasted. I think I was still just lurking then. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3370 "2024-10-19T12:37:19Z")
The folks who Cannot. Admit. They. Wrote. Something. Stupid. are a real sight to behold. I wonder if that behavior would change if folks had the right to delete (or edit into nothingness) a post they later regretted? I’m _not_ advocating we make this change for all the obvious reasons. Just wondering if the inability to fully bury your mistakes is one of the drivers behind folk’s doubling down on theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3371 "2024-10-19T13:15:40Z")
Yes, I think that’s human nature for all of us to varying degrees. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been absolutely liberating to say things like, “You make a fair point. I guess I overstated…” or whatever. Not as much in my younger days when the point of most discussions was winning. In those days, I bet I absolutely would have cornfielded a few of my posts, having dug an insurmountable hole. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3372 "2024-10-19T15:00:41Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Just wondering if the inability to fully bury your mistakes is one of the drivers behind folk’s doubling down on theirs. Thereby guaranteeing that those mistakes remain fresh in the memory, and get reviewed by more folks who are asking themselves “I don’t understand this controversy, what did they really say?” and then go look it up. I have learned at least this much: if you make a mistake, even if you don’t feel like apologizing, just shut up about it. It will soon sink beneath the waves of new posts and be forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3373 "2024-10-19T15:55:17Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > if you make a mistake And this was a mistake; it should have said “if you realize you made a mistake…” If you can’t admit to yourself that you made a mistake, there isn’t much hope for a better outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3374 "2024-10-19T16:17:16Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > even if you don’t feel like apologizing, just shut up about it. It will soon sink beneath the waves of new posts and be forgotten. This is so true. I just cannot understand the folks that keep beating the dead argument. (warning, bad analogy ahead) It’s like they vomit on the street, and then stand by the vomit yelling at all the passers-by that they did not do that and anyway, it’s probably not even vomit, and it’s not their fault they felt sick. And they keep this up for weeks, continuallyl drawing attention to the vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3375 "2024-10-19T16:18:44Z")
That was…disturbing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=155) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=157)