# Why is this insulting? Warning in Great Debates **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 11, 2012, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383 "2012-09-11T08:51:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383/81 "2012-09-13T13:04:42Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > I tried to find the original post that contained this excerpt, "“If defining “coward” isn’t the point of the thread, and if calling someone a coward isn’t an insult, then what would be the point of labeling someone a coward.”, but I could not. I’m not sure if you were addressing me or the OP here, but the above remark of mine (that you couldn’t find the original post for) wasn’t a quote from another person or post. It was commentary on the OP’s notion that telling someone they are a coward can be an objective, non-insulting statement. My point was that even if that were true (and it’s not) there would be no reason to to call someone a coward in a thread. If you’re not trying to insult them, then why attach the label? And if you are trying to insult them, then you’re likely violating the forum rules. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383/82 "2012-09-13T14:15:53Z")
I was not addressing you. I’m sorry I didn’t make that more clear. I was referring to the OP. I didn’t realize that when I quote a post made by person A that contained a quote made by person B, only the words of person A showed up and the words of person B did not show. I hope that doesn’t make things more confusing. Please accept my apology for any confusion. ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383/83 "2012-09-13T14:20:55Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > Why would you ask this question in a public forum? > > Don’t you think it would have been better to ask the person who gave you the warning privately? > > I have found that whenever I have a problem with someone and try to talk with them, it is much, much easier to resolve things when we talk privately. > > When I address my problem with that person publicly, it’s as if I force them to have their back against the wall. They cannot say anything to me that others could possibly find fault with. > > In general it is much, much better to bring these kinds of issues to someone privately than it is to do it in public. > > IMO, doing this in public seems to be a deliberate attempt to provoke an angry response from the moderator or, at the very least, to initiate an argument with them that you almost certainly know you ain’t gonna win. I always thought this was the correct place to ask these questions, I had no intention ‘provoke an angry response’ I assure you. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383/84 "2012-09-13T15:37:51Z")
Calling someone a “coward” or a “bigot” is only insulting if you insert the pejorative “fucking” in front of it. The mods are messing with you…they actively encourage posters to call other posters “cowards” and bigots", especially in Great Debates. If you can’t debate without calling someone a poopyhead, then there’s no great debate to be had. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-insulting-warning-in-great-debates/634383.md?page=4)