Learning how to form an argument

Many people are at a loss when it comes to coming up with a counter-argument when confronted with something with which they disagree.  The conversation goes something like this:  First, there's a strong statement from a speaker who believes what he's saying is true, like, "The sky is blue."  The person who disagrees with that statement then says something like, "That's ridiculous."  or, "No, the grass is green."  or, "Blue is an ugly color."

For the record, these are not arguments.  They range from childish name calling to the irrelevant.  Yet, so often, this is what I get back when I make an argument.  And that's from normal adults.  I don't know if people are just lazy or they just can't bring themselves to care about what I've said.  I'd like to believe that they're so cowed by my reasoning that they find themselves bereft of even one active braincell.

In keeping with my initial statement, let me try to come up with some more effective counter-arguments.

"No, the sky isn't actually blue.  What you're seeing is space and space is black.  The sun's rays merely make it appear blue."  or, "It looks more grey to me."  or, "No, it's technically azure."

Oh well.  I guess I can also choose to believe that the reason I get almost no feedback on my blog is that the few who've read it find my points irrefutable.  Or maybe they're just scared.  Pansies.  The truth is, the counter-arguments I have gotten have all been as feeble as those illustrated above.  It's really rather pathetic.

Actually, I would love to have a conversation with someone.  There's so much I learn whenever someone will actually engage me.  And, for me, this is the preferred venue for that kind of an exchange.  I think it's good to argue.  To do it in writing gives your cooler head a chance to prevail.  Dennis Praeger once said that you don't really know what you think about something until you write about it.  I find I'm also much clearer in writing than in person.

I don't enjoy face to face conversations nearly as much.  Mostly this is because, in person, the loud-mouth me-monsters take over.  They're used to talking a lot, been doing it their whole lives.  It never occurs to them that though they talk the most, they truly have the least to say.  These are the guys who'll raise their voices and drown you out if they even think there's a chance you'll try to interrupt them.  They just parrot some crap they heard some newscaster or talk show host say, hoping they'll sound smart.

And that's if you can even get them to talk about anything important.  That's the other thing I hate about social situations.  Look, I really don't care about the weather or sports or Dancing with the Stars or the latest dirty laundry somebody aired on the news last night.

So, between the yackers and the irrelevance of the topics of conversation, I guess I'd just as soon sit here and blog to no one or write comments to stories online that I find relevant.

Bottom line:  all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.  This blog is me doing something.  And you who read but won't engage because you're to busy or you just can't bring yourself to muster the effort because you're lazy or you don't think it matters, that's you doing nothing.