hawkeyefan
Legend
The counterpoint here would be, can't you make the same points without resorting to such labels.
In case it isn't apparent by now, using such labels tends to focus more of the conversation on those labels themselves than the underlying point.
- So, why even open up that door?
- Surely those labels aren't required to make your point? And if they are, what does that say about your point?
- If you make the point without those labels and still get the same reaction - maybe what the person is taking issue with isn't really the labels themselves but actually the point?
Must I really defend discussing ideas rather than clutching pearls about a word chosen?
It’s a choice to get hung up on a word. To ignore everything else about a post and grasp one word chosen and then make the discussion about that.
Look at our exchange here. These posts are not about the topic. They’re about how people are allowed to talk about a topic.
Now, I can’t stop anyone from choosing to get their dander up and let the conversation shift away from the actual ideas it’s about. But I figured I’d point it out because I really think these conversations would go better if people stopped doing that.