[From xorcist offlist] Cloudflare & NoDAPL again w/ a ROTF

[Mirimir]

On 09/25/2016 12:05 AM, Zenaan Harkness wrote:

<SNIP>

I'm not particularly interested in discussing the definition of "good"
or the value of rationality, but this is interesting.

> Here's a hint to everyone on still reading:
> 
>  Every sentence beginning with "if" (or similar, or that implicitly
>  begins with an 'if' etc) is quite likely suspect from the get go.
> 
> "If" begins a proposition, or assertion, etc.
> 
> Such propositional sentences are easy to slip past those who are not
> familiar with this communication tactic.
> 
> 
> And in this particular example courtesy 'xorcist', we have a classic
> case of a proposition implying an absolute, but in fact is not true,
> yet tends to lead the reader into the fallacy. (Forgot the name of this
> particular 'logical reversal', but it's a fallacy nonetheless.)

Yes! More generally, hypotheticals are very dangerous in debate. Or when
under deposition. It's all too easy to get trapped, especially when the
stakes are high, and you're stressed.

> Second hint: the "more honest" or "leading the reader in critical
> thinking rather than blind agreement" approach is to instead of
> beginning such a sentence with "if", to begin your sentence with "I
> assert that..." or "I assume it is true that..." or even "In many cases,
> we can fairly assume that ...".

Also yes! I do my best to write that way. My favorite is "arguably", and
arguably I use it too much ;)

But then, are we debating here? I like to think that we're collectively
working through stuff. Or just sharing casually. Not that I don't get on
it about being right, from time to time ;)

<SNIP>