How To Handle an Idiot

[Dark Sage]

I've had to deal with idiots a lot. (I'm not talking about anyone on TPM). And I just realized how to handle one, listen up.

I recently replied to a story on HuffPost about Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts. This story had nothing whatsover to do with any Court case. It had to do with his credit card number being stolen recently, something I can sympathize with because, well, I was a victim of this crime recently too.

As often happens, an idiot replied to my post, claiming that someone "greased his palm" to influence his decision on Obamacare and that I was being "paid by the billionaire left PR propaganda machine to say these things".

My post did not even mention Obamacare, or any political issue at all. Folks have made this accusation against me many times, mainly by birthers and other right-wing nuts who believe conspiracy theories.

I didn't deny it this time. This time I told him, "Why thank you, it's putting my daughter through college."

And he didn't bother me again. Take note.

[Kumori]

May I just say that is the best response I've ever seen. Kudos to you, sir.

[Asilynne]

Its Huffpost, the comments in EVERY article somehow go back to politics...lol

[mattbcl]

I love it. Thumbs up!

[Telume]

I read HuffPost from time to time and I pretty much treat the comments from HuffPost like I do the ones from Youtube: I ignore them. Pretty witty response either way, though.

[Heald]

So the guy on this forum who couldn't win an argument against anyone here decides to post how he won an argument on a website notorious for having a collection of commenters ranking amongst the stupidest on the Internet?

Colour me unimpressed.

[shazza]

I remember my first beer.

[Andrew]

Tell me more Shaz.

Also DS, you're taking the intarwebs too seriously.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Especially after Andrew's post, this turned out more than interesting. In my opinion, you guys should settle this on Mt. Moon, but who am I to tell you, plus I think Dark Sage never asked the privilege to post there.

Also, there's a voice in my head calling my name and saying "Stay out of this, Mikachu!"

Off to put some medicine to my pill dispenser.

[Shadow Wolf]

So... should I say that I'm actually learning how to handle an idiot in this thread? (Sorry, couldn't resist XD)

But seriously, why is everyone so tense in this thread? Daark Sage handled an idiot? Good. Close the thread down, congratulate him and move on, easy as that. ^_^

[DarkestLight]

*Is a professional idiot*

Shadow Wolf wins the thread.

[Kumori]

*Is a professional idiot*

Shadow Wolf wins the thread.
Well damn. I'm just a ~professional noob~

[Roy Karrde]

Hey I gotta say congrats Dark Sage, I think we could use a thread in which we discuss how to handle trolls and bullies as that is something many if not most of us face both on the net and in real life.

[Blademaster]

I love the irony of this thread's title coupled with its content.

Thanks for the advice.

[Dark Sage]

Here's another way I handled an idiot: You turn his source against him.

This involved the recent argument over gay marriage. A lot of anti-gay rights folks kept quoting that same passage in Leviticus as "proof" that it was morally wrong, and I was getting sick of it.

So, to prove my point, I made a very elaborate post:


Why is this a hot issue? Well, it's all because of this:

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination." - Leviticus 18:22

True enough. Now let's see what else the Bible forbids:

"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you." - Leviticus 11:7-8

Think of that before you order a ham and cheese on rye.

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:28

Tattoos are sinful, it seems.

"Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." - Leviticus 19:27

God doesn't like it when I get a haircut?

"He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD." - Deuteronomy 23:1

As if what happened to John Bobbit wasn't bad enough.

"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy ponies: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the LORD." - Leviticus 19:16

Next time you hear a gossip comlumnist say that Brad and Angelina are breaking up,keep it quiet. Gossiping is a sin.

"When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hoof of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hoof, and taketh him by the secrets. Then thou shalt cut off her hoof, thine eye shall not pity her." - Deuteronomy 25:11-12

So if you think your wife is going to take your side in an arguement, you'd better stop her, lest you be forced to apply the same punishment given to thieves in Saudi Arabia.

"And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." - Exodus 21:17

I'd love to see the GOP even try to push for this one.

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." - Mark 10:11-12

In other words, not only is someone who remarries after a divorce considered an adulterer, so is whoever he or she marries.

"Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his ponies.

"Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." - Exodus 31:14-15

If you believe this one, then everypony is a sinner who deserves death. Including Mr. Holier Than Thou Santorum.

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." - 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

If you're a woman, keep your mouth shut in church if you want to avoid offending the Lord.

"And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you." - Leviticus 10-11

Seems seafood is bad too. (Notice that a lot of this stuff is in Leviticus?)

Need I go on?

I got a LOT of positive replies to this, but not ONE negative reply. I guess no one could respond to it.

[Kumori]

No, you do not need to go on. I dislike many religions that press "you MUST do this" and "you MUST do that". Must I? And religions that press us and force us into believing... I'd like a religion that didn't force you to do everything, and just asked that you treat people with respect.

And I support gay marriage. I even started a petition, but it never got enough signatures. I'm an atheist, anyway... I don't see the point in religion.

[RedStarWarrior]

Some idiots are dealt with so easily.

"See, he admitted to it!"

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

How long has it been since we had a religion war at TPM? I remember one from like 2006. Those threads are really something to stay away from, I can't imagine what new 'discussing' religion at The Everfree Forest would bring though.

EDIT: Or on a second thought, perhaps I can.

[Dark Sage]

I wasn't trying to challenge religion, Mikachu. I was pointing out how I challenged an obscure reference in the Bible that anti-gay marriage ponies were using with LOTS of other ones that were just as silly.

You know, most people say the Bible is a boring book, but it can be full of laughs if you look hard enough.

Do you know that Jesus had a sense of humor? He said a lot of profound, inspiring, and uplifting things, but some would think you wouldn't ever get laughs from what He said... Or could you? I'll prove it:

This usually gets lost in the translation, but there was one passage in the Gospel where He said, "Is there anypony among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

There was also interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well:

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!"

His first meeting with the soon-to-be Apostle Nathaniel went like this:

Nathaniel: Can anything good come from Nazareth?
Philip: Come and see.
Jesus, upon seeing Nathaniel: Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!
Nathaniel, to Jesus: How do you know me?
Jesus: Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.
Nathaniel: Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.
Jesus: Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.

In fact, when Pilate asked Him directly if He was King of the Jews, His response was more or less, "You said it, I didn't."

So you be the judge. Did Jesus have a sense of humor?

[Telume]

There's a lot of surprising things in history that people tend to miss because of mis-interpretation.

Matter of fact, here's probably a list of things that got turned to "fact" because of something lost in translation (and/or) intentionally left out:

F9-iSl_eg5U

And another set of misconceptions:

SCzXZfNIu3A

I'm pretty sure at some people some of you believed these "facts".

But it illustrates a point: People are very gullible.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I wasn't trying to challenge religion, Mikachu. I was pointing out how I challenged an obscure reference in the Bible that anti-gay marriage ponies were using with LOTS of other ones that were just as silly.

You know, most people say the Bible is a boring book, but it can be full of laughs if you look hard enough.

Do you know that Jesus had a sense of humor?

OK, I was overreacting. But tell you what, I knew the Bible has a lot of humor, even outside gospels where Jesus appears. I read it a lot when I was a small child. That was before I got into video games.

And to say it my way, Jesus never says gays go to hell. That's a misconception.

[Kumori]

Jesus has the best sense of humour in the Bible. I want to read it just to laugh at Jesus's sense of humour.

[CaptainJigglypuff]

I actually do not believe God wants people to suffer when they die and that Hell really isn't hot and fiery and all torture. Think about it. The Bible says Hell has fire and brimstone but so does Hawaii and THAT place is considered a paradise. My theroy is that the difference between Heaven and Hell is that Heaven is more luxurious and has a few more perks. Sort of like a restaurant with a private dining room reserved for special guests.

[Dark Sage]

People, the April Fool's joke is over. It was funny, but...

Can someone undo the edits to our posts that changed various words to "ponies" and "hooves" now?

[Oslo]

I actually do not believe God wants people to suffer when they die and that Hell really isn't hot and fiery and all torture. Think about it. The Bible says Hell has fire and brimstone but so does Hawaii and THAT place is considered a paradise. My theroy is that the difference between Heaven and Hell is that Heaven is more luxurious and has a few more perks. Sort of like a restaurant with a private dining room reserved for special guests.

So I've been doing good deeds and all I'm gonna get out of it is afterlife valet parking? D: wtf. Excuse me while I go steal some shit and punch children.

[Dark Sage]

Yeah, the Calvinists had similar views.

They also forbade holding any festivities on Christmas. To them, being happy was taboo. Even Quakers tend to be more cheerful than they used to be.

[Gavin Luper]

People, the April Fool's joke is over. It was funny, but...

Can someone undo the edits to our posts that changed various words to "ponies" and "hooves" now?

I think it's fixed now.

[ChobiChibi]

So to slyly move back on topic...

Working in retail means I see my fair share of idiots, but this website (www.notalwaysright.com) never fails to amuse me.

But I find the best way to handle an idiot is to ignore them.

[Heald]

"Do not argue with an idiot; they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

-Mark Twain

No wiser words were spoken.

[Dark Sage]

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

- Mark Twain

[Heald]

That too.

[mattbcl]

Chobi, I'll admit to jealousy. Would that I had the ability to ignore idiots in my job... unfortunately, mine involves going into their homes, which is far worse than them coming to my place of business. It could be my imagination, but it seems to me that arguing with idiots is far more difficult when you're on their territory. Bad enough trying to tell a customer they're wrong (a cardinal sin in business), worse trying to tell them why. I must, instead, resort to reasoning with them.

[Dark Sage]

I just handled another idiot last night.

I was on my way to work (I had to walk about four blocks from the subway to my job site) when some big guy tried to stop me, saying he needed me for something.

I told him, "Fellah, I'm going to be late, okay? Don' bother me."

Then he said, "I'm a Marine!" to try to sway me.

I gave him a strange look (I kind of doubted it, and even if it was true, it didn't give him any authority), took my cellphone out, and said. "Yeah, I might be impressed if I were one too, but I'm not. Get lost."

Then he started cussing me out as I walked away (insulting my weight, like a lot of bums in New York tend to do when I tell them off) but the cellphone is the way you get them to back off. These people do NOT want to deal with the cops.

[shazza]

Firstly,

http://i.imgur.com/3bIfxKj.png

Secondly,


"Fellah, I'm going to be late, okay? Don' bother me."

You're a fucking dumbass, mate.

[Dark Sage]

Uh, Shazza, my shift started at midnight, it was currently 11:50.

I think I had a valid point.

[Asilynne]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmonw5Y1Bl1qafrh6.gif

[Dark Sage]

Okay, can you and Twilight Sparkle let me in on the joke here?

[Asilynne]

I don't even know how to explain it without sounding mean but here goes.

This thread is basically about you bragging how you gave a comeback to someones post on a news/opinion site, and how you feel that you "won" a minor confrontation with a stranger on the street with your cellphone, by implying you were set the call the cops. If these are victories to you, if these are the things you are proud of accomplishing, come on man!! Get some more self esteem :( Sorry but those are relatively 'nothing' things to be proud of...>.>

Now if someone tried to mug you and you kicked their ass and sent them running then we'd be talking :)

[Dark Sage]

I was pretty sure the guy WAS going to mug me, and if you saw him, you'd realize that.

I'm not a violent person, Asilynne, so I have to handle folks like this the way I can.

[shazza]

if he was endeavoring to mug you, he would surely do so without a second thought after you fobbed him off.

perhaps one needs to look deep within to your thoughts - understand the basis and benefit of the stereotypes you have generated which, seem to me, are only creating a hostile world and only causing yourself pain.

you may have just passed up a once in a lifetime opportunity to triumph in the United States Fleet Marine Forces

[Dark Sage]

Shazza, here's how muggers work in New York City. Being a native, I know this.

They hang around places where people tend to be (like the convenience store he was at) where a lot of people are around, and try to convince someone to follow him to a place where there's no-one around, like an alley or secluded spot.

If a stranger flags you down in the middle of the night and asks for help, you do NOT get out of your car and do it. You tell him to go down to the gas station down the street and you'll call for a pickup truck there. If he refuses to do that, you step on the gas.

People fall for tricks like this so often, muggers and rapsts don't even have to use guns most of the time. They can subdue a victim with nothing more than a hunk of pipe. The key to foiling them is to just stay to a brightly-lit area, because even if hey have a gun, they will not try something there. A mugger that does that might as well be telling the cops to take him to jail.

And he wasn't a Marine. Trust me. He looked like Tone Loc, but without the charm.

And I'm too old to enlist anyway.

[abunaidesu]

Shazza, here's how muggers work in New York City. Being a native, I know this.

They hang around places where people tend to be (like the convenience store he was at) where a lot of people are around, and try to convince someone to follow him to a place where there's no-one around, like an alley or secluded spot.

If a stranger flags you down in the middle of the night and asks for help, you do NOT get out of your car and do it. You tell him to go down to the gas station down the street and you'll call for a pickup truck there. If he refuses to do that, you step on the gas.

People fall for tricks like this so often, muggers and rapsts don't even have to use guns most of the time. They can subdue a victim with nothing more than a hunk of pipe. The key to foiling them is to just stay to a brightly-lit area, because even if hey have a gun, they will not try something there. A mugger that does that might as well be telling the cops to take him to jail.

And he wasn't a Marine. Trust me. He looked like Tone Loc, but without the charm.

And I'm too old to enlist anyway.

I'm pretty sure this concept applies to anyone living in a big city.

[Dark Sage]

I'm pretty sure this concept applies to anyone living in a big city.

True.

And if Shazza and Asilynne lived in such a place, it would have been obvious that I was justified in what I did and their claims as to why I was in the wrong were absurd. That guy was nothing but trouble.


you may have just passed up a once in a lifetime opportunity to triumph in the United States Fleet Marine Forces

As much chance as I'd have had that night of meeting a leprechaun, I'd say.

[Asilynne]

I never said it was wrong, I just think its ridiculous to brag about saying "leave me alone fellah" with your cell phone out to a stranger on the street, on a pokemon forum. It just doesn't seem like something to brag about >.>

[Dark Sage]

I'm sorry, the fact that he cussed me out and mentioned my weight kind of crossed the line, especially seeing as I've spent the better part of the past year losing fifty pounds.

Guys like that are incredibly insensitive. I mean, really, I've never liked New Jersey Governor Chris Christie or most of his policies, but I will not tolerate the people who make fat jokes about him. It goes too far in my book.

Anyway, sorry to double post, but here's another idiot I just dealt with.

I just posted on the story that reported the Stock Market gains yesterday. These stories always have people posting about the "inevitable crash". It's as if they want this country to collapse into economic ruin (and they do, seeing as they're willing to see people starve than admit that Mr. Obama is not the socialist they claim he is, which is very, very sad).

This was what the guy said.


Please invest everything you have in the market. all of it. when they are interviewing people on the cheese line...say your name so i can point and laugh at you.He was apparently too blind to see that my real name was in plain sight. It's what I use as my account name of HuffPost. (His was "burnking1") Here was my response:


Uh, my name is right there in plain sight. I'm not afraid to reveal it. Now tell me your real name. Bet you won't.I haven't heard from him again.

[Oslo]

I think you misunderstood his post? He sees your name and is telling you to state it publicly in the event you end up on welfare and get interviewed because of it. Should he ever come across that interview, he'll recognize your name and his assumptions that you'll lose all your money will be confirmed.

[Dark Sage]

I know. It made it even more hilarious.

I don't invest in the Market. There's a fee of $2 grand - or more - with most brokerage firms just to get started. I don't have that kind of money.

[DarkestLight]

Shazza, here's how muggers work in New York City. Being a native, I know this.

They hang around places where people tend to be (like the convenience store he was at) where a lot of people are around, and try to convince someone to follow him to a place where there's no-one around, like an alley or secluded spot.

If a stranger flags you down in the middle of the night and asks for help, you do NOT get out of your car and do it. You tell him to go down to the gas station down the street and you'll call for a pickup truck there. If he refuses to do that, you step on the gas.

People fall for tricks like this so often, muggers and rapsts don't even have to use guns most of the time. They can subdue a victim with nothing more than a hunk of pipe. The key to foiling them is to just stay to a brightly-lit area, because even if hey have a gun, they will not try something there. A mugger that does that might as well be telling the cops to take him to jail.

And he wasn't a Marine. Trust me. He looked like Tone Loc, but without the charm.

And I'm too old to enlist anyway.


I'm pretty sure this concept applies to anyone living in a big city.

>.> Ok what. As a Native of that city as well, I can tell you now from over 20+ years of experience evading them that muggers don't "lure" you to a secluded area. Either they follow you and drag you to said area, wait til you walk through a secluded, not well lit area, or straight up pickpocket you within a crowd when you aren't paying attention. I never heard of this "lure you" buisness. You make it sound like you're a school or fish or a pack of wildebeast and they pick you off when they chase you.

If that's the way the streets are actin', then I'm glad I bounced, cause that shit is ridiculous and punkworthy. That's just saved for beatdowns-and that's a semi-personal thing.

Hate chiming in on "serious" things, but that needed to be cleared up IMHO

[Dark Sage]

DL, have you ever seen someone mugged in the middle of Manhattan, close to a main thoroughfare, close to a LOT of occupied stores, restaurants, and a McED's, which was where I was?

Think about it for a minute.

Didn't think so. Crooks aren't that dumb. But given what this guy said to me after I told him I didn't have time to "help him", I doubt he was benign.

[abunaidesu]

I never said it was wrong, I just think its ridiculous to brag about saying "leave me alone fellah" with your cell phone out to a stranger on the street, on a pokemon forum. It just doesn't seem like something to brag about >.>

Considering how rampant cell phone thefts are currently, I would gladly tell any stranger who got close to me while I had my phone out to fuck off.

[Blademaster]

This thread is everything wrong with not only TPM but our world as a whole.

[DarkestLight]

DL, have you ever seen someone mugged in the middle of Manhattan, close to a main thoroughfare, close to a LOT of occupied stores, restaurants, and a McED's, which was where I was?


Yes: I grew up in Harlem and lived all over the 5 boroughs. I've seen all sorts of muggings and robberies. From in front of junior high schools to churches to on the DAMN S.I Ferry! I've seen muggins on 42nd near the BBQ's AT 8pm in the summertime-dude just snatched two girls cash from a street vendor and booked it. I grew up when muggings on PACKED train cars were commonplace, cause it happened to me more than once. That's about as crowded as you get when it comes to rush hour. :/

Projects to Movie theaters. 125th and Lexington at 3:45 pm-seen muggins occur. It can be anything too. Sneakers, skateboards, earrings, even fucking hot dogs -.0 It's stupid. It's not the norm no, but I've seen more and lived through more than my fair share. It's not about being dumb. It's being brazen, and what they are willing to do for that cash- or for that moment of relish.


Think about it for a minute.

Didn't think so. Crooks aren't that dumb. But given what this guy said to me after I told him I didn't have time to "help him", I doubt he was benign.

...I was cool...until you added your little dimwitted pre-emptive quip. :/ So now I'm done playing calm cool collected quip jokester.

I guess I don't know shit about muggings, or the mindset of criminals in the city. Shi, I probably shouldn't have even replied cause my answer is too personal and it invalidates impartiality. You seem to know, from your quoted answer above- how muggings actually go down, despite -what I assume- to be your LIMITED exposure to the streets at all hours at random times throughout the year.

But hey.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8650905

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Armed-Jewelry-Store-Robbery-Madison-Avenue-Midtown-Pepper-Spray-171841261.html

I used to work a few blocks from the second link.

Like I said, what do I know? That's only two stories reported, there are hundreds that aren't. Am I saying they are the norm, no. But don't go off and spout some nonsense when you don't have a inkling of a clue what anyone else here or anywhere has seen or went through.


NOTE: For on topic relateability: This reply...is how you handle an idiot. -.- *Pre-emptive statement-waits for counter.*

Hey Blade. Glad to see you refrained from posting. :/

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

I was actually reading a book called Idiot. Still unfinished with that. It's by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. I would have mentioned that earlier, but I thought it was off-topic. As if my other posts here weren't.

I don't like calling people idiots anyway, no matter what they do, and in that book, the person who's called idiot, actually tries to do good all the time.

[Asilynne]

Considering how rampant cell phone thefts are currently, I would gladly tell any stranger who got close to me while I had my phone out to fuck off.

He took it out to 'scare' the 'mugger' away, not told him off to protect his cell phone >.>

That's why I found it ridiculous...

Also lol Will ;)

[Dark Sage]

I was actually reading a book called Idiot. Still unfinished with that. It's by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. I would have mentioned that earlier, but I thought it was off-topic. As if my other posts here weren't.

I don't like calling people idiots anyway, no matter what they do, and in that book, the person who's called idiot, actually tries to do good all the time.


I remember an old book by Al Franken called Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot.

It was good, but a little outdated these days.

[Kumori]

The Idiot is sitting on the shelf next to me, lookin' all fancypants.