When you use a word like ‘only’, you’re inviting that sort of interpretation. I read your statement and it seemed like you meant it literally, that is, “I’m resisting the interpretation that there are not other reasons at all...”, and I read the response as confused because nobody said anything about there being no other reasons.
Even if HughRistik was being in some way uncharitable, I fail to see how it’s an instance of Logical Rudeness, as it was a matter of correctly parsing your statement, rather than changing his position in the middle of an argument.
Whether somebody says “only” or says “mainly” shouldn’t matter too much, if the main point is actually something else entirely. In this case—the main point was about “what it is that upsets people about PUA”, not whether it’s the main point, or the only point that upsets people.
From my reading of CuSithBell’s comment—I think she said “only” but probably meant “mainly”—and thus jumping on the word “only” makes HughRistik’s comment seem like he was jumping on a side-point to avoid the main issue
Yes, on this site, using “only” to mean “mainly” opens you up to the kind of jumping-on that is common on this site… but I believe Logical Rudeness includes the situation where you jump onto a side-point at the expense of the main point. That’s why I mentioned it.
That said, I totally believe that we all should use the more correct word. If CuSithBell really meant “mainly” instead of “only” then that’s what she should have said to be more precise.
I restated and re-worded what she said because what I am most interested in is exactly what she said… with only one word of difference that does not (in my view) change anything from the Main Point.
When you use a word like ‘only’, you’re inviting that sort of interpretation. I read your statement and it seemed like you meant it literally, that is, “I’m resisting the interpretation that there are not other reasons at all...”, and I read the response as confused because nobody said anything about there being no other reasons.
Even if HughRistik was being in some way uncharitable, I fail to see how it’s an instance of Logical Rudeness, as it was a matter of correctly parsing your statement, rather than changing his position in the middle of an argument.
Whether somebody says “only” or says “mainly” shouldn’t matter too much, if the main point is actually something else entirely. In this case—the main point was about “what it is that upsets people about PUA”, not whether it’s the main point, or the only point that upsets people.
From my reading of CuSithBell’s comment—I think she said “only” but probably meant “mainly”—and thus jumping on the word “only” makes HughRistik’s comment seem like he was jumping on a side-point to avoid the main issue
Yes, on this site, using “only” to mean “mainly” opens you up to the kind of jumping-on that is common on this site… but I believe Logical Rudeness includes the situation where you jump onto a side-point at the expense of the main point. That’s why I mentioned it.
That said, I totally believe that we all should use the more correct word. If CuSithBell really meant “mainly” instead of “only” then that’s what she should have said to be more precise.
I restated and re-worded what she said because what I am most interested in is exactly what she said… with only one word of difference that does not (in my view) change anything from the Main Point.