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To: vannrox
BTW, if you check out visitor's submissions, you'll see that there are two from yours truly. </brag>

And, as embarassing as it is to admit, I came up with the "YOU KNOW BETTER" technique because I caught myself doing it...

4 posted on 02/07/2005 2:52:31 PM PST by kevkrom (If people are free to do as they wish, they are almost certain not to do as Utopian planners wish)
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To: kevkrom
For reference:

YOU KNOW BETTER:

A variant of I KNOW BETTER is to convey that not only do you know that the other person is wrong, but so do they. Used to imply that the target is either too emotional, too biased, or too lazy to see the obvious "truth". This can be a great lead in for the I KNOW BETTER technique, as the resultant dumbfounded stare of the victim can be taken as tacit permission to tell them what you know they know.

"You should know better than that! If we did it your way ...."

"If you'd just stop and think about it for a second, you'll realize what a stupid point you just made."

"It's odd you'd say that, since, surely Jim, you know better ..."


YOU JUST HEARD THAT:

By pointing out a possible source, real or imagined, you can make it seem as if the other person can't think for themselves. This technique works even better if the supposed "source" of the other person's opinion is controversial, much like the NAME IT tactic. The utility of this is to avoid the point entirely and subtly imply that such a derivative idea (whether this is true or not is of no consequence) is WRONG BY ASSOCIATION, an alternate name for this technique.

"Really now, Cindy, all you're doing is spouting liberal dogma. I'm trying to make a real point here ...."

"I'll bet you heard that on Rush Limbaugh!"

"You got that off of the INTERNET, didn't you?"


5 posted on 02/07/2005 2:54:34 PM PST by kevkrom (If people are free to do as they wish, they are almost certain not to do as Utopian planners wish)
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