# 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:** 53
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1041 "2024-02-20T18:43:08Z")
I mean, of course any criticism can be interpreted as persecution, but at least the term isn’t misogynistic and I think it more accurately describes the behavior. I also mean the term as a general descriptor and not applying it to a specific person. There are attention junkies everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1042 "2024-02-20T18:46:50Z")
I was referring to those unnamed folk who would deliberately drop the “attention” part of the phrase and claim that you called them a “junkie”…even after being corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1043 "2024-02-20T18:59:29Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I’m sorry your man wouldn’t fuck you any more after he discovered Pornhub, or wanted to try anal after he found that Hustler in the woods while shootin’ b’ar, or whatever porn-related trauma happened to you. Clearly _something_ personal did. Maybe if that Hustler had mentioned lube alongside the piledriver shots, you wouldn’t still be butthurt over it. I’m saddened that you’d post something like this. I look forward to reading your posts, but this almost makes we want to put you on ignore. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Things made by you and felt by you can still stink up a place. If you want your opinion to get any goddamn respect–and this is something that third graders can understand–it needs to be logically connected to facts in a persuasive manner. > > Your opinion is your own, and I hereby pinky swear I won’t call the Opinion Police to break your door down and arrest you for having an opinion. Everybody else, would y’all give a similar pinky swear? Because beck is fucking terrified that we’re trying to use our mind control powers to rob her of her opinion. > > But if you offer your opinion without tying it to relevant facts in a persuasive manner, expect it to be derided. If your opinion is that people should suffer consequences, and you don’t offer relevant and persuasive facts, expect people to form an opinion of **you**. (Underline added for emphasis; large quote maintained for context.) The attitude expressed here is toxic. The goal of this site is not “respect” or “persuasion”. We are not in a competition here. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1044 "2024-02-20T19:02:54Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The attitude expressed here is toxic. The goal of this site is not “respect” or “persuasion”. We are not in a competition here. What a bizarre post. The post you responded to was about respect for _ideas_ not respect for people. Isn’t the principle underlying the free exchange of ideas that we can all evaluate them on their relative merits, that bad ideas will be exposed by criticism and that good ideas will flourish? ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1045 "2024-02-20T19:02:56Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I’m saddened that you’d post something like this. I look forward to reading your posts, but this almost makes we want to put you on ignore. I’m glad I’m not the only one who had an issue with this. I found it pretty disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1046 "2024-02-20T19:05:24Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > The attitude expressed here is toxic. The goal of this site is not “respect” or “persuasion”. We are not in a competition here. > > What a bizarre post. Isn’t the principle underlying the free exchange of ideas that we can all evaluate them on their relative merits, that bad ideas will be exposed by criticism and that good ideas will flourish? Yes, exactly. Things like “respect” and “persuasion” are irrelevant when evaluating facts. And it’s the facts in competition, not the posters. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1047 "2024-02-20T19:06:30Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Yes, exactly. Things like “respect” and “persuasion” are irrelevant when evaluating facts. And it’s the facts in competition, not the posters. And LHoD was very obviously talking about respect for ideas, not respect for people. Whether _ideas_ are persuasive because they are good ideas. You’ve lost me, quite honestly. No idea what you are talking about. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1048 "2024-02-20T19:07:14Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The attitude expressed here is toxic. The goal of this site is not “respect” or “persuasion”. We are not in a competition here. Had I talked about a competition, maybe that would be relevant. But I didn’t. Whne a person advocates for a certain public policy, such as, oh just speaking hypothetically firing a public employee for their off-hours behavior, that advocacy is persuasive writing. When they’re doing it in a context of a conversation, their persuasiveness is gonna get evaluated. There’s nothing toxic about that at all. If someone comes into a thread on pizza and says, “I don’t like bell peppers on my pizza,” there’s no need to persuade anyone of anything. But preferred pizza toppings is a different ball game from public policy that can ruin someone’s career. Edit: > [@Pleonast](#): > > Things like “respect” and “persuasion” are irrelevant when evaluating facts. And it’s the facts in competition, not the posters. What the crispy Jesus??? Beck has said, and I just counted but feel free to double-check my math, three bajillion times that she’s posting opinions. I was talking about tying those opinions to facts. In what godforsaken Lovecraftian twisted dimension is that related to what you’re critiquing here? I’m gonna gently suggest you may have misunderstood what you quoted, and may want to reread it. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1049 "2024-02-20T19:11:54Z")
@BigT , I’m not contentious by nature. I just don’t want to be told I can’t have my opinion. Being called numerous ugly names(not just attention-whore, I’ve heard that plenty) but names that cast aspersions as to my intelligence. And my age and where I live. Because I’m rural in Arkansas I must be dumb. It’s infuriating. I can be mad at this. It’s putting me in a category that makes it easy to dismiss me. Placist. Is that a term? IDK. But I feel it. What’s next? I’m a dumb blond? All because my opinion didn’t jibe with a bunch of men. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1050 "2024-02-20T19:13:12Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > All because my opinion didn’t jibe with a bunch of men. Hah! Yup, no women disagreed with you there, good call! ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1051 "2024-02-20T19:14:31Z")
Maybe they stayed in _their_ place. Once again I’ll say it…I never said she should be fired. I said she probably would be. But no she resigned. All moot. Again. ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1052 "2024-02-20T19:17:05Z")
What’s the point of all this? Beck has written some stuff that many (myself included) disagree with, and in a far from perfect manner. Okay. You’ve made your points. Some have made them in a terribly mean and frankly abusive way. Let it die. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1053 "2024-02-20T19:18:06Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > LHoD was talking about respect for _ideas_, not respect for people. Whether _ideas_ are persuasive. That’s not how I read it. It was a personal critique. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Whne a person advocates for a certain public policy, such as, oh just speaking hypothetically firing a public employee for their off-hours behavior, that advocacy is persuasive writing. And I find that toxic when it becomes personal sniping. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Beck has said, and I just counted but feel free to double-check my math, three bajillion times that she’s posting opinions. So? I disagree with most of what I’ve read of @Beckdawrek. Including the endless self-justification of their opinions. But that doesn’t justify the endless complaints about the opinions. The whole culture of disagreeing and then personalizing the disagree is toxic and makes this site just another internet shitshow. We don’t have to fulfill the “someone on the internet is wrong” meme. > [@mjmartin](#): > > What’s the point of all this? Beck has written some stuff that many (myself included) disagree with, and in a far from perfect manner. Okay. You’ve made your points. Some have made them in a terribly mean and frankly abusive way. Let it die. On preview, this! ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1054 "2024-02-20T19:18:24Z")
Riiight…so everyone who disagrees with you is a man, or a woman who is staying in their place, is that your claim? Keep digging. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1055 "2024-02-20T19:22:45Z")
Trying to put me in my _place_ again? Are we? Not working for you. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1056 "2024-02-20T19:23:31Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > And I find that toxic when it becomes personal sniping. Okay, that’s your opinion, and absent any attempts to persuade me, I’ll regard it much as I regard your pizza topping preferences. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1057 "2024-02-20T19:23:59Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Trying to put me in my _place_ again? Are we? You could not possibly be more ridiculous, but I have no doubt you’ll try. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1058 "2024-02-20T19:24:19Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m not contentious by nature. I agree. To be contentious implies interaction of some kind, it requires the passage of at least _some_ information, at least a cursory understanding of what you are disagreeing with. You have such condescending sanctimonious dimwitted moral certainty in your own bigotry that you even hold the preposterous belief that everyone else secretly knows you are right, or will soon come to know you are right as they gain wisdom and insight to equal your own. So I agree, the correct term for your dysfunction is not “contentiousness”. I’m sure we can come up with a few other suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1059 "2024-02-20T19:28:09Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’ll regard it much as I regard your pizza topping preferences I need to know on which side I stand. What is your stance on pineapple? ---
**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:** [February 20, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/1060 "2024-02-20T19:30:11Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > What is your stance on pineapple? I’m on the “don’t fire a teacher because they eat pineapple pizza” side. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=52) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=54)