Skipper_Sr

I have a little story to share about some recent things.

I have a friend that I have made not too long ago (let's call him Alberto), and he likes to ask questions about what I think and do a lot.

That's not bad in itself, because I do enjoy my beliefs being tested and seen from different perspectives. 

It's just I have an issue with the way he asks his questions and his argument style. 

I'll give some examples of how he thinks:

1. Alberto said that people who use 24-hour time are only "trying to be different." 

I thought that sounded weird, and lo and behold, I found out that 2/3 of the population of the world use 24-hour time. 

People don't use "military time" to stand out, it's actually more commonly used than 12-hour time. 

2. The other day, I was telling him how I prefer computers over iPads, and he seemed to prefer the latter so one of his first questions was, "Honestly, what can a computer do that an iPad can't do?" 

Someone who asks this question clearly does not know very much about computers.

Now, the reason those conversations bother me is because of the way Alberto asks a question. 

He asks a question like he's making a point--the question itself is a point to him, and I've noticed other people do this too. 

But, the way I see it, a question is not a point, it is a prompt. 

People carry so much confidence in an inquiry because they expect the person they're talking with to automatically understand the implications from the question, but understanding the points implied is not in the same stage as hearing the question.

I'll say it again, a question is not a statement, it is a prompt. 

The problem is that people treat their question like it's a really important fact they've just shared. 

I don't think these types of people know how to argue well, but this style of arguing is effective at slowing the other person down as I have experienced because:

1. The receiver has to first understand the question--the same as understanding any question.

2. But then secondly, the receiver is forced to try to read the inquisitor's mind because the inquisitor did not give a point, only a question, and the points are hidden in the question.

So this slows down the receiver's thought process by having to basically explain the inquisitor's point for them in his head before replying, which can take too long and thus the inquisitor can start to take the lead from the receiver taking too long to answer back. 

I'll give my best example of my problem with arguing with Alberto.

I accidentally stole batteries from Walmart the other night when Alberto and I went shopping for supplies together. 

They were in my pocket and I had forgotten I put them there, purchased my other stuff, and then walked out the door. 

I realized before we left the parking lot, and so I went back inside to pay for my batteries. 

I explained why I did this to Alberto.

I started out with saying how I try to think about what is wrong to do in principle, such as asking myself, "Would X act be okay for me to do still if everyone else in the world did it?" 

"Would X act be okay for me to do if it was a universal law?" 

I didn't think everyone stealing batteries from Walmart was okay, so I decided to redeem myself. 

I also explained how I didn't want to make a habit of stealing things because habits start small and then grow, and they can begin with things like stealing batteries from Walmart and being fine with that. 

We both believe in God, and so he thought my reasoning was ignoring God's commands of right and wrong and instead focusing on my own rationale. 

(I have my own thoughts to share about that above, but I've already typed a lot so I'll skip it for sake of relevance + being concise.)

Alberto led with the question, "What is good and bad?" 

My immediate thought was "This is vague because he didn't give much context to it. Like, is he asking what are good and bad things to do?" 

And it's a big question too.

I felt kind of stumped because I didn't know how to respond at first. The question seemed out of the blue since there was no support he had given for it. 

I provided context by saying murder was bad, and then he asked why is murder bad.

I said for reasons such as it being an act of hatred and personal revenge.

Then he said why is killing bad which is not what I said, and this is where you can see I start to become annoyed with the way he argues.

He likes to ask questions a lot without giving many points.

I've noticed this can make a person seem smart because the asker can become the conductor of the conversation easily by leading it with their questions.  

It's more of a facade though because it doesn't actually display much knowledge of the topic, more like a distraction from letting anyone know that he doesn't know as much as you would think. 

A question is not an explanation of anything which is something you need in order to argue, so Alberto does not understand the fundamentals of debating.

It seems like he eventually gets bored with my continuous answers, probably because I go a bit slower to counter him seemingly trying to speed things up for a quick victory by just asking big questions that can take a while to answer or not really giving any points at all, so the person he's talking to has to carry the weight of any meat of the topic being shared or explained. 

And the reason he questions me so frequently is because I tell him some of my deeper beliefs about life and the way I act.

I do this to sharpen my ability to explain myself, to make conversation, or to see if I'm actually wrong about something. 

And, truly, I have it coming when he starts to question me because I know how he thinks, and I can tell when he is going to probe me with his own thoughts against mine. 

I'd appreciate any thoughts from you guys!

Any similar situations?

Similar friends?

Ever steal batteries from Walmart?

I am going to upgrade to a new computer within a few months depending on when it feels right. My current computer has issues and is lacking in the performance that I desire from a computer. Please do not try to persuade me to a specific brand because I am only sticking with Apple. It's what I am comfortable with and used to, and Apple computers are good enough.

If you have any thoughts about what type of Macbook I should get, do share. I prefer the Pro versions over the Air models because of the better internal hardware and additional ports. I want to buy one that I plan on keeping for many years, and its performance should be acceptable for many years. 

I basically have to balance the ratio of performance : money.

One that I have landed on is the 2021 MacBook Pro, M1 Pro Chip, 16 GB Ram, 512 GB. The price is around $1,000, most likely a bit more. I think its power would be more than enough for what I want and need, and the price doesn't seem too bad. What do you guys think? 

Now that I am 18, what are some prudent and productive things I should do first in my life? Adulthood is very different from childhood. What do you recommend?

Share suggestions or favorites you have. I may broadcast a link if I feel like my content is worth viewing by others

Most of my debates from here on out will be about the Bible or similar content. I created a forum because like the title says, this will be a series of mine with no signs of stopping. 

The forum is also so those interested can contact me ahead of time. Reasons could be: a specific topic for debate, debate alterations, or the like. 

I am not into debates in which the title is in itself a trap. These arguments are made to increase my knowledge of Biblical content and opposing views.

Again, if you are interested and have a specific topic, let me know.

If there is low activity on this forum then I my debates will simply be "Bible Is True" or something like that to give Con the full capability to attack however they like.  

This can be YouTube or BBC News or something entirely else.

I do not have one as of yet. Hearing your opinions would help me to choose an effective platform to utilize.

I am probably one of the first to experience this update. I do not know exactly when it started, or when the update was finished. I was on the website around 10:30 am, and there had been no changes yet. I hopped back on around 12:30 am to see some modifications. Update occurred sometime in that 2 hour gap. 

There have definitely been tweaks made to the site such as font style and font color. Slight adaptations elsewhere. 

The question is: is this innovation or merely adaptation?

Has this update improved the site and how so? 

It is now Valentine's Day for the United States.

This holiday is modernly known as a day of love. My Valentine's this year (hold back your tears) is: me. Today is all about appreciating my value and being thankful for my abilities. I thought what better way to acknowledge my existence than through suffering. On this day, Feb. 14, I will accomplish the feat of 1,000 push-ups. You are all welcome to join me in my exercise insanity (I think I'm insane sometimes). I also urge you to find something to love about yourself today. Be happy with who you are and grow to be your best. If 1,000 seems a stretch, do 100. If you do not like push-ups--I certainly don't, pick something else to do. It's all for the benefit of your well-being.

This is not meant to be satirical or perky, but a message of goodwill. Take it however you like

The idea for creating this forum came from reading a post from RM stating he is a flat-earther. https://www.debateart.com/forum/topics/8762/post-links/367653

This forum has been created so he can share his thoughts and others can also give their piece on the subject. I find "Flat-Earth" views to be interesting and worth learning more about.

A nice addition to DebateArt would be to create a "random debate generator." This tool would be capable of creating spontaneous debate titles. If there are new users to the website or regulars that are lacking in creativity, this device would grant instant possibilities for debates

Am I held to moral or ethical standards that would say I need to strive to not be unhealthy? Obesity? Addictions?