“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” Sometimes that might be true. Other times, it’s just way too painful to keep quiet and listen to (or read) a load of rubbish. The best thing you can do is at least try to correct them.
There are so many dumb posts doing the rounds online nowadays that you’d be forgiven for believing we’re living through a pandemic of stupidity. The wildest part is that many of these fools say their piece with their chest puffed out. They have the amount of confidence that, quite frankly, should be reserved for the world’s top performers.
Thankfully, the wise refuse to let it slide. For every dense post that dared to be published, there’s a screenshot waiting to happen. Bored Panda has put together a list of the best of the worst for anyone needing some brainrot between their very important tasks. Sit back, keep scrolling, try not to roll your eyes too hard, and don’t forget to upvote your favorites.
“If you have only a hazy idea on a subject, or you know you haven’t invested the time to really get informed on it, you shouldn’t feel the need to have a hard opinion at all.” So writes author Martin Vidal in a post titled, Why It’s So Hard To Argue With Idiots.
Vidal argues that many argumentative ignorant people either have no capacity or no motivation for engaging in critical thinking, and couldn’t be bothered to educate themselves. Most importantly, he says, they lack of self-awareness.
The author says it irks him when people don’t take the steps needed to a certain opinion, but go on and have it loud and proud anyway. “Sometimes, unfortunately, with a great deal of enthusiasm,” he writes. And you only need to scroll through this list to understand exactly what he means.
Communications expert Dr. Alan Zimmerman believes sometimes it’s better not to argue with idiots. Choose your fights carefully, he advises. Zimmerman believes you should only engage in conflict if you can answer three questions with a “yes.” You’ll find those questions further down.
“The first question you ask yourself is, ‘DOES A THREAT EXIST?'” advises Zimmerman. “Is that other person doing something that is getting in the way of your happiness or success?”
Often, we are triggered by things that aren’t worth our energy. “Maybe your child selects a gross-colored shirt to wear. Does that threaten your success? Probably not,” explains the expert. However, if a coworker is spreading rumors that threaten your success, there’s a very good chance a threat may exist.
“If you can say yes, a threat exists, ask yourself a second question, ‘IS IT WORTH A FIGHT?'” Zimmerman suggests. “Some things are worth fighting for, such as a happier marriage or more satisfied customers. Other things aren’t worth the hassle.”
