# What were you THINKING?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532>\
**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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2545

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2545 "2024-04-18T20:19:39Z")

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> [@Bad Moderation in "Hamas Attacks Israel" MPSIMS thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-moderation-in-hamas-attacks-israel-mpsims-thread/1000412/24):
>
> But he did indeed make it clear that he meant “less kind,” and was not engaging in any sort of hyperbole.

**BigT** , what were you thinking when you posted this? Ignore **Crane** for a second. If I say, “I’m so hungry I could eat a cow”, and **TOWP** asks, “a _cow_?”, and I clarify, “a _whole_ cow”, you realize I am being hyperbolic throughout? It is important that I am literally referring to a cow, otherwise it wouldn’t be hyperbole.

I think you had a valid argument, if only you had used “error of composition” instead of the word “hyperbole”. I.e. if **Crane** had accidentally written IDF is less kind than Waffen SS, but meant “more kind”, that would be forgiveable. I agree. But all agree, he didn’t do that. Pretty sure that’s what you were trying to say, but you botched it.

~Max

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