Some intelligent people like to debate on something. They cannot talk about something without trying to have the last word. Debate are more a mental war than nothing else. If war is motivation for working harder, it has also destructive consequences. Mental debates are responsible of problems like lost of memory, self-delusion on your on intelligence, social problem to communicate with others, difficulty to accept it's errors. Does who never debates might be seen as stupid by the ones who do. And there is a danger for intelligent people to feel forced to participate to debates to prove your intelligence or believe that you are less intelligent than people you win debate. Very intelligent people step over it. Let them die with their debates. It's fascinating to see that if you listen to a debate silently, you might find a good solution in less time than it requires them to get a position and try to convince others that they have the good solution. And more important, how in a debate people forget what it has been said at the beginning of the discussion or how many drivels occur in the discussion. Debates has also many destructive effects to others intelligent people. It can be desastrous for very intelligent people who haven't learnt the self-control required to not shut down your mind when there is a debate and not participate in the debate . Failling in this regard might conduct to lost of confidence, substance abuse, masochism because you could do anything against their attacks but you knew the answers. You don't have to debate. Do your things, set your goals, and when you are with others, let them "win" their debates. If you have to speak, say what you have to say and nothing more. It's the old formula, do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

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Mental debates are responsible of problems like lost of memory, self-delusion on your on intelligence, social problem to communicate with others, difficulty to accept it's errors.

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Three thousand years of Western philosophy and theoretical science would tend to speak against this point.

It has always proceeded by debate.

I think you're thinking of something else. Perhaps grammar and orthography? You don't seem to care much for them, either.

Grab a dictionary and look up "polemic". Maybe that's what you mean. You might want to invest in a word menu, to increase your vocabulary and become more sensitive to important conceptual distinctions.

While I do of course agree with all of that...

He did manage, in a clumsy way, to reach a very Satanic conclusion.

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You don't have to debate. Do your things, set your goals, and when you are with others, let them "win" their debates. If you have to speak, say what you have to say and nothing more.

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There are those, like yourself, who are endowed with excellent written communication skills. Who enjoy and understand the finer points of intellectual and philosophical discussion and debate.

There are many I've observed who lack this ability, but who express a very Satanic nature through their actions and verbal communications.

It is better for them to act, and occasionally to discuss, than it is for them to attempt to debate. Expecting everyone to be able to debate effectively is like expecting me to be able to "wing" a transatlantic flight. Things might get messy.

A successful magician must be able to recognize his own weaknesses, and know what areas to avoid.

I have no doubt that there are many people of great worth who are not fantastic writers. The key is for them to avoid making asses of themselves, and to strive to succeed doing the things the really ARE good at.

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There are those, like yourself, who are endowed with excellent written communication skills. Who enjoy and understand the finer points of intellectual and philosophical discussion and debate.

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Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr Malebranche.

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There are many I've observed who lack this ability, but who express a very Satanic nature through their actions and verbal communications.

It is better for them to act, and occasionally to discuss, than it is for them to attempt to debate. Expecting everyone to be able to debate effectively is like expecting me to be able to "wing" a transatlantic flight. Things might get messy.

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That's absolutely fair. Different talents, dispositions, and interests make for very different people doing very different things.

Be that as it may, I'd hate to see anyone try to represent debate as ineffectual, as "not doing something". We're all on this forum because of a book, where an author took a side on an important debate.

Besides, I couldn't let something so obviously ill-put-together, and hypocritically didactic to comical proportions, pass without a little bite!

It was certainly worth a nibble.

His "argument" was ill-fated because he attempted to suggest that debate was pointless for everyone, always.

l just didn't want it to come across that a Satanist must be part of an intellectual elite. To be sure, he is part of an instinctual elite.

It is so easy for those of us who can communicate relatively effectively via the keyboard to clobber someone on our turf . But the poorly or self-educated rugged individual - someone like Wolf Larsen in The Sea Wolf, would likely clobber us on his .

I'd hate to see us invalidate, heckle and ostracize a real Wolf Larsen on the grounds of academic ineptitude.

(I am in no way implying that this is necessarily the case here, with this post, poster or thead, but it got me thinking along those lines.)

At the same time, if you are going to participate on this turf, you do have to learn the finer points of the game to be successful. If you are not interested in mastering the finer points of debate or discussion, you should avoid participating in them whenever possible. That was the idea I saw in the last lines of that post, and I think it is a good idea.

If you don't want to learn how to play the game successfully, don't play at all. You may still be one a Hell of a Satanist on your own terms.

Just wanted to throw a dime in and say that you can grow in areas that you may not be competent in, and that you can learn to become proficient in areas where you may be lacking. You may not become a Jack London or a Ludwig Van, but I guarantee that you will improve if effort is given in attempting to improve yourself.

I find that the best way to learn how to write is to write, the best way to learn how to sing is to sing, etc...

I do agree you should try not to make an ass out of yourself while doing it, but sometimes that is another great way to learn. It certainly has helped me learn some lessons, though I always seem to need to learn lessons.

As long as you learn.

I love a good debate from time to time. It can be a good mental game of chess, with every point having a couterpoint, every move a coutermove.

But sometimes debate can have its drawbacks. While debating, one sometimes has a tendency to focus on 'winning' the debate instead of the information given in the discussion. This can prevent one from learning valid information from your opponents in the debate, as learning and changing your viewpoints is sometimes seen as capitulation.

In the long run I benefit more from information learned in a good discussion than from the ego boost of having the last word.

R X

This is a public forum. A place where one having made a post, must obviously be interested in hearing the opinions of others.

It is also a place where one, being a member as such, may also lurk and read and learn a lot.

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. Practice may not make perfect, but it makes you a whole lot better at something than not trying.

And as the saying goes, you have to fall off the bike or whatever...

However, if you do want to do well at something, you also have to make the effort to begin with. People "discuss" things all of the time. Or at least they express their opinions aloud at each other in something resembling "conversation". I think a lot of us have higher standards when it comes to what we would consider intelligent discussion or debate on these boards. If it isn't someone's forte, and they want to participate, they should do as reprobate suggested and investigate the finer points of writing and communication.

You know, the more I write, the more I'm interested in getting things right.

I have always had a pretty sizeable reading and writing vocabulary (my speaking vocabulary is much smaller). But when I write these days, I often have www.m-w.com open in another window. I hear words in my head while I'm typing, but I often check them to make sure they actually mean what I think they mean. I've also taken to using the modern usage references on Bartelby.com. (Hell, I'm still getting the hang of those damn semicolons.)

Many communication problems can be avoided if one simply makes the effort.

What I was saying is that, if someone is not willing to make that effort - he'd be better off focusing on other things.

I will admit that debates are entertaining. In some cases they can lead to finding new solutions and compromises between groups of people. In other cases, I would agree with you in saying that they're just another form of pointless war. I suppose the best way to avoid getting trapped into a vicious cycle of words and waste of time is to observe the people you're debating with and decide if they're really worth the trouble.
There's nothing wrong with making a point, but are the people you're talking to really that valuable to you? Those who are truly brilliant have no need to prove it to lesser beings.

SOCIAL MASTURBATION!!! yep...that's what that is.

Excellent, I usually have www.dictionary.com open when I write, m-w is better by far though, thank you.

As for the other thing, I agree with you and make no excuses for those who post drivel on these boards. My main reason for posting was due to my interest in writing essays, even though there are many who do them better. I guess my interest in writing them outweighs my hesitance at writing them, if you know what I'm saying.

I even thought about creating a submission for sataniclust.com, but I don't think I would have anything to say ...

We'll be around, and we'd love to hear from you, of course. Whenever something strikes you, let us know.

Debating can be pointless and masturbatory at times, but it can also be intellectually stimulating. However, one must know the proper time and place - CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES WISELY. Of course, it also helps to choose your debating partner wisely. I debate with friends on occasion, but there is no emphasis on changing each other's mind. It's all about making each other think. It's fun, if done with maturity and respect.

“Debate is an art form about the winning of arguments. It’s not a mechanism for finding the truth.” - Stephen Jay Gould

I find that debating subjects that I am interested in with people who have an opposing attitude to be one of the best ways to learn more about the subject. I think that the key to having a good debate is the same as with anything; don't be an idiot about it. If the arguments presented change your opinion, be thankful that you have learned something. If there is no argument presented strong enough to change either parties opinion then agree to disagree. At least you have learned more about opposing viewpoints.