Circular logic

[jackfaire]

I was in a debate tonight where the reason someone doesn't like something was, "I don't like chocolate cake so therefore that is the reason I don't like chocolate cake"

Plug in anything in place of chocolate cake (not the original topic) and you get what seems to be a trend with lots of people they give no deeper thought to why something bothers them you create hypothetical situations where all but one factor is different and still they can't identify the X Factor that actually bothers them.

Then they claim that your just not paying enough attention and that they told you why it bothers them. Then they restate it bothers them because it does, "How do you not understand that?"

Anyway yeah down with circular logic.

[insertNameHere]

Or better yet, what about people who insult you because to went to college and learned logic. I had a guy at work ask me why I wouldn't sign this one petition. I told him because I don't like the government screwing with capitalism and that if the consumers don't like the practices of a certain industry they can go to different provider from their current one. He then compared me to two other people he knew who went to college who used similar logic when he asked them about it and said we are all the same.

sorry, I don't see the point of putting my name on a petition for a thing I don't want to get passed. That is like me voting in a primary for president for a candidate i don't want to be president.

OH and if your wondering, his "logic" was that it is not fair that banks can charge what they want and my thought was if you don't like fees for using your debit card, don't do shit that causes fees. It is that simple, maybe that bank had such a good rate on checking account because of those transaction fees if you run your debit card as debit, but credit free. Having the government set regulation is just gonna screw up the system. Like what they did to credit cards where I got a letter saying my rate was going up to what the penalty APR if i missed a payment was, but since i was such a good customer they would give me a rebate if i kept paying on time of my current rate. SO, if i miss a payment my rates go up, just like the old days even when the government put regulation to prevent them just jacking up rates.

Lol then i gave more reasons and he still said I had no reason for not signing it. I couldn't even tell if he was using circular logic because his argument made no sense.

[DrFaroohk]

To be fair about the banks though, they are low down dirty rotten bastards who will deliberately try to set you up to have these fees, which to me isn't the point of the bank. It's like going to the hospital and having the doctor purposely infect you with staph so he can treat it later and make more money.

[Ree]

To be fair about the banks though, they are low down dirty rotten bastards

And that would be for another thread.
Let's at least try to stay on topic for a page or so.

[HYHYBT]

Well, it depends very much on what the topic is. It's perfectly reasonable to say "I don't like lemon* cake because it doesn't taste good" or something that amounts to the same, because it's nothing but personal preference and what more reason need there be? For that matter, that may be all the reason they have anyway; "that just seems wrong (or right) regardless of the logic" is no good in a debate, but it's a strong part of how people view things, at least to start. The logic may sink in later, or not.

sorry, I don't see the point of putting my name on a petition for a thing I don't want to get passed. That is like me voting in a primary for president for a candidate i don't want to be president.

Poor example: there are several reasons you might do the latter. Lack of anyone you *do* want to win being on the ballot is the most common, but if the outcome of the other party's primary is uncertain, some people vote on the other side for the one they think their side could more easily win against. But there's no strategic advantage to putting up something for a vote that you don't want to win.

[Ghel]

Circular reasoning is common in religious discussions: "I believe God exists because the Bible says so, and I know the Bible's right because it was inspired by God."

[Rageaholic]

Circular reasoning is common in religious discussions: "I believe God exists because the Bible says so, and I know the Bible's right because it was inspired by God."

That was the very first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

[jackfaire]

HYHYBT what really grated is that they really didn't know why they feel the way they do about the topic.

The question I put to them was, Why does X make you uncomfortable?

There answer was, Because X makes me uncomfortable.

Being handed my question as the answer is refusing to think about the question or even truly discuss the topic. It is an evasion.

I don't like a certain flavor of cake because it tastes bad to me is a reasonable point. I dont' like it because I just don't like it shows they have no clue why.

[DrFaroohk]

To be more on topic, it reminds me of certain pieces of art and literature. Things like Catcher in the Rye - It's supposed to be this great classic, so they teach it in schools all the time, but the only reason its such a well known classic is because they teach it in schools.

[HYHYBT]

Ah, but "it tastes bad" is as much an opinion as disliking the cake in the first place, so you're not really getting anywhere.

(and I apologize for the hanging asterisk: I've done a lot of that lately. It was intended to lead to an explanation that I'd switched flavors because anyone who dislikes *chocolate* cake is clearly insane.)

[Fryk]

It's faulty logic anyway, because lemon cake is awesome!