Have you ever had a conversation where some idiot utters what seems to be the most ignorant or illogical string of syllables that ever the ear did hear? And did after correcting them mildly or not so mildly (as is usually the case with me) did they say something like “if it doesn’t apply let it fly”?
Ugh… Where do I begin? This is not an right response to a criticism or counter argument to a statement you just made in any conversation, at anytime- EVER. This is nothing but logical fallacy launched as a defense to prevent you from having to actually provide logic or evidence to substantiate what you said. It pisses me off that we live in a culture where we are bathed in relativist nonsense and coddled into believing that we are so special that our opinions do not have to be founded upon anything of substance.
You cannot legitimately dismiss someone’s with this tactic. Even if the subject in question applies to them they still have a right to take issue with a statement or argument you make if they find it flawed. But a person can take issue or be upset by statements that don’t apply to them. Like, you don’t have to be black to be offended by the term “nigger”, or gay to be offended by “faggot”, or a woman to be offended by “bitch”.
So let me give you an example of something that happened to me recently on the book of faces. A “friend” of mine asked a question regarding whether it might be a good idea to legalize prostitution in the U.S. An unfortunate man-child said,” Booty: You have to pay for it one way or another.”
What the hell?
What’s worse is that people actually “liked” the comment. So after pointing out the obvious misogyny of implying that all women are prostitutes and arguing over several comments came that ridiculous statement. I can just picture that moron sitting at his computer with a smug look on his face saying, “take that!”, as he hits enter. Like, “not only will this shut her up but it also rhymes- I rule!”
It won’t shut me up because saying “If it don’t apply let it fly” commits at least a couple logical fallacies. The first is the mind projection fallacy, where the person believes the way they see the world is the way it really is. Like, believing only women who conduct themselves as prostitutes would be bothered by A COMMENT THAT CLEARLY IMPLIES ALL WOMEN ARE PROSTITUTES. It further extends the non sequitur that was committed by this moron here but is probably present in the argument or statement they made initially. In this case the non sequitur in the previous comment goes something like this:
1) prostitutes are women (that men spend money on)
2) wives, girlfriends, sexual partners, etc are women (that men spend money) on
3 Therefore, wives, girlfriends, sexual partners, etc are prostitutes
So never mind, for a second that not all prostitutes are women but even if we assume that wives, girlfriends, sexual partners etc, are women that men spend money on it still doesn’t follow that all women are prostitutes or comparable to prostitutes in any way shape or form. And I would certainly hope that spouses, significant, or platonic friends, etc would not be treated like that by the men in their lives. To suggest that someone gets offended by a statement like that is a prostitute adds an additional category to the previously used logical fallacy (i.e. wives, girlfriends, sexual partners, women who are offended by this argument, etc). And finally it commits the ad hominem fallacy. Now to be clear, calling someone a name or labeling them is not on its own enough to commit an ad hominem. In order to commit the ad hominem, the attack must be offered to counter the other person’s claim. In this case the person I’m referring to essentially said with his not so witty retort, “if you weren’t a prostitute then your wouldn’t be offended by what was said.”
So this “snappy” comeback loses its snap when you really examine it from a logical perspective. Just remember this post the next time you are confronted with this sort of nonsense, untwist your rage face, dismantle their piss poor logic and declare, ” No I will not let it fly because your poorly reasoned argument doesn’t apply in the first place!” And be sure to really let them have it.
**A NOTE ON MISOGYNY**
You do not have to walk around calling women bitches and hoes to earn the label or misogynist even though that is precisely what the man in my example implied.
Great post. I feel your frustration.
Thanks.