Thread: why are we so obsessed with proving other people wrong and making ourselves look good?

Originally Posted by stormcrow

I personally believe that the motivations for the aversion to homosexuality are irrational and largely a cultural/religious construction. Irrationality is a lack of critical insight.

I don't think you are using the correct definition of irrational. Irrational means an action beyond reason. Homophobes have a reason. You may not like it but they have one. Really no irrational action, action being the purposeful behavior of applying means to ends, is possible. Irrationality is more akin to a involuntary twitch or contraction.

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

Being homophobic doesn't mean you are lacking some critical insight into knowledge. It is merely an aesthetic choice. Homophobic people find homosexuality disgusting.

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

I don't think you are using the correct definition of irrational. Irrational means an action beyond reason. Homophobes have a reason.

LOLMG. I can see that you actually believe this.
This is your argument-
Homosexuals look no different to any other person, but it's an aesthetic choice to be scared of, or by extension, hate them.
No.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

I've noticed that there are a few people here on DV who always have to be right (and will not admit they are wrong even when proven wrong) and greatly enjoy deriding others and aggrandizing themselves in a fatuous display. It's disappointing because this arrogance belies any great intelligence they are purported to have.

The people described above are the ones that I have the biggest problem with, because, unlike me, they are unable to approach discourse with any sense of humility, and are incapable of extending to me the same courtesies that I extend to them, which is, mostly, the possibility of being wrong, and the desire to learn what is right.

Well, I've noticed, that when people do good, or humble things (or other things which harm their ego a bit), it usually goes unnoticed.
For example, if I clean up the kitchen my mum won't even notice. But when I don't, she notices and gets frustrated that it's "always dirty" or whatever.

Similarly you may be only noticing when people defend their position even in light of the fact that they are clearly wrong, but forgetting about the times that they do change their view and admit the other person is right. Or you may have just missed the times that they admitted they were wrong.

Going a bit off topic here but....
I don't really hate when people do this, or even dislike it. It's normal, and if they have enough introspection, they will admit it to themselves later on.
What I do dislike, is when people don't finish an argument because they know they are wrong or can't back up anything they say so they're just like "I don't wanna argue right now/about this!".

Originally Posted by tommo

LOLMG. I can see that you actually believe this.
This is your argument-
Homosexuals look no different to any other person, but it's an aesthetic choice to be scared of, or by extension, hate them.
No.

It has nothing to do with what they look like but the actions they commit. I have nothing against homosexuals. I'm not offended by what they do or how they choose to live their lives. The mere explanation of why some people are homophobic does not make the explainer a homophobe. So you "see" me incorrectly which doesn't really surprise me.

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

It has nothing to do with what they look like but the actions they commit. I have nothing against homosexuals. I'm not offended by what they do or how they choose to live their lives. The mere explanation of why some people are homophobic does not make the explainer a homophobe. So you "see" me incorrectly which doesn't really surprise me.

Lol I see you projected your own feelings in to what I said. I never said you were a homophobe, at all.

I said I see you actually believe what you are saying; that homophobes have an aesthetic repulsion to homosexuals.
The point is, homophobes are mostly likely never going to see homosexuals doing anything they find disgusting. Homophobes are scared and sometimes they hate homosexuals. Aesthetics doesn't come in to the equation, it's just ignorance.

homophobes usually hate "femininity" or "weakness" in men, and that happens when they can't accept their fragile, sweet and submissive nature so they lock it in, and when some feminine guy is in front of them it makes them remember so they have to make the feminine guy disappear or treat him like shit so that their femininity seems less important to them.

Answering the creator of this thread , people tend to bring others down because it's easier to eliminate threats than to trust in other people and look for solutions, being able to show someone wrong actually gives you more security in being able to control other threats that may come your way.

Originally Posted by mowglycdb

homophobes usually hate "femininity" or "weakness" in men, and that happens when they can't accept their fragile, sweet and submissive nature so they lock it in, and when some feminine guy is in front of them it makes them remember so they have to make the feminine guy disappear or treat him like shit so that their femininity seems less important to them.

So women can't be homosexuals and people can't have homophobic beliefs about lesbians?

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

So women can't be homosexuals and people can't have homophobic beliefs about lesbians?

forgot to point out this is in mens case, though your question is silly.

Originally Posted by mowglycdb

homophobes usually hate "femininity" or "weakness" in men, and that happens when they can't accept their fragile, sweet and submissive nature so they lock it in, and when some feminine guy is in front of them it makes them remember so they have to make the feminine guy disappear or treat him like shit so that their femininity seems less important to them.

To have a belated piggyback, some studies says raging homophobes be denying their desire for penis. Also, Ted Haggard.
Sorry, off-topic, I agree with the ego suggestion of saltyseedog as well and I feel dumb for not thinking of that in my first post.

SEXY EDIT:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

You didn't disprove anything. You just said it was ignorance. Well, how do you know that?

Concerning my comments: Homosexuality is involves, in some capacity, sexual acts that involve two from the same sex. People find these actions "disgusting" whether its sodomy, fellatio, or cunnilingus. By saying that these actions are "disgusting" they are making an aesthetic judgment, a judgment concerning beauty, upon the act of homosexuality.

I personally think that women of African descent are not attractive (can't wait for a ststorm of idiocy with regards to this opinion. For clarification it's the general features of Africans that I simply don't think are attractive. It's like saying I don't think blondes are cute or that someone's chin is too defined for my liking. If you can't understand this without a kneejerk "RAAAAACISTTTTT!!!!111" reaction, you're a fking idiot). Just my opinion. Does this make me a racist?
I don't feel good in my pants when I see spunky gay man sex. Does this make me a homophobe?
Your argument is weak. Homophobia is deeply rooted as a psychological defense mechanism or as the result of cultural prejudices.
Not all disgusting things have to do with aesthetics. Disgusting can also carry other connotations, such as moral, ethical, etc., as well. For example, Sarah Palin is disgusting because she is a Tea Party Republican (WOAAAAHHHH now everyone knows how I feel about them!). Mrs. Palin may be quite cute (I don't think so personally, but pretend that she's as lovely as Tina Fey makes her out to be), but she's still disgusting because she is a Tea Party Republican.
The moral disgust sort of thing is what most religious homophobes cite as their reason why being gay is bad.

Originally Posted by kookyinc

I personally think that women of African descent are not attractive (can't wait for a ststorm of idiocy with regards to this opinion. For clarification it's the general features of Africans that I simply don't think are attractive. It's like saying I don't think blondes are cute or that someone's chin is too defined for my liking. If you can't understand this without a kneejerk "RAAAAACISTTTTT!!!!111" reaction, you're a fking idiot). Just my opinion. Does this make me a racist?

If you are being serious then no it doesn't make you a racist. You just have a set of certain aesthetics.

Originally Posted by kookyinc

I don't feel good in my pants when I see spunky gay man sex. Does this make me a homophobe?

Again, if you are being serious, no.

Originally Posted by kookyinc

Your argument is weak. Homophobia is deeply rooted as a psychological defense mechanism or as the result of cultural prejudices.

What is it defending us from? How did it develop as a cultural prejudice? What caused it?

Originally Posted by kookyinc

Not all disgusting things have to do with aesthetics. Disgusting can also carry other connotations, such as moral, ethical, etc., as well.

No it's just people improperly utilizing the definition of morality that call it disgusting. Morality is about what is good and bad. Connotating good with beautiful is a false leap. What is beautiful and what is disgusting rests solely in the world of aesthetics

Originally Posted by kookyinc

For example, Sarah Palin is disgusting because she is a Tea Party Republican (WOAAAAHHHH now everyone knows how I feel about them!). Mrs. Palin may be quite cute (I don't think so personally, but pretend that she's as lovely as Tina Fey makes her out to be), but she's still disgusting because she is a Tea Party Republican.
The moral disgust sort of thing is what most religious homophobes cite as their reason why being gay is bad.

Well you're doing what you seem to be implying religious homophobes do which is equating the good, i.e. your theories of politics, with the beautiful, i.e. your anti-Tea-Party sentiments. You are confusing the two schools of philosophy probably because you have no background in them.

Originally Posted by tommo

Lol I see you projected your own feelings in to what I said. I never said you were a homophobe, at all.

I said I see you actually believe what you are saying; that homophobes have an aesthetic repulsion to homosexuals.
The point is, homophobes are mostly likely never going to see homosexuals doing anything they find disgusting. Homophobes are scared and sometimes they hate homosexuals. Aesthetics doesn't come in to the equation, it's just ignorance.

Ignorance of what exactly? You make this claim yet give no proof to back it up. This is a really annoying trait you seem to possess.

Originally Posted by Laughing Man

Ignorance of what exactly? You make this claim yet give no proof to back it up. This is a really annoying trait you seem to possess.

Lol. I like how you back up everything you say /sarcasm.

I disproved your idea and postulated my theory. That was all I wanted to do.

Originally Posted by tommo

Lol. I like how you back up everything you say /sarcasm.

I disproved your idea and postulated my theory. That was all I wanted to do.

You didn't disprove anything. You just said it was ignorance. Well, how do you know that?

Concerning my comments: Homosexuality is involves, in some capacity, sexual acts that involve two from the same sex. People find these actions "disgusting" whether its sodomy, fellatio, or cunnilingus. By saying that these actions are "disgusting" they are making an aesthetic judgment, a judgment concerning beauty, upon the act of homosexuality.