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unspeakablehorrorSome of my least favorite 'arguments':
* mere assertions with nothing really substantive to support the statements beyond things like 'trust me, I'm an expert!'
*some kind of emotional appeal that is designed to cut off any critical questioning (such as by treating any critique as a personal attack)
*treating a display of examples as proof of general trends.
And I mean, I don't take issue with people just talking and getting thoughts out or expressing opinions--I do that too. But that's not the same as making an argument for something. Saying 'This is a problem, Google it' is just talking, not making an argument. Doing any of the stuff above is...also just talking.
Obviously if someone's butting into a conversation to demand an argument, no one's obligated to give them one. You aren't obligated to prove all your statements to random people. It's perfectly reasonable to tell them to go away and stop bothering you. They don't need interaction from you, specifically, to seek out information. But if something is intended to be an argument in favor of a position, and any of the above is done instead, it's an act of intellectual dishonesty.
* mere assertions with nothing really substantive to support the statements beyond things like 'trust me, I'm an expert!'
*some kind of emotional appeal that is designed to cut off any critical questioning (such as by treating any critique as a personal attack)
*treating a display of examples as proof of general trends.
And I mean, I don't take issue with people just talking and getting thoughts out or expressing opinions--I do that too. But that's not the same as making an argument for something. Saying 'This is a problem, Google it' is just talking, not making an argument. Doing any of the stuff above is...also just talking.
Obviously if someone's butting into a conversation to demand an argument, no one's obligated to give them one. You aren't obligated to prove all your statements to random people. It's perfectly reasonable to tell them to go away and stop bothering you. They don't need interaction from you, specifically, to seek out information. But if something is intended to be an argument in favor of a position, and any of the above is done instead, it's an act of intellectual dishonesty.