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Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 16, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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No email address required.

It's a brief way to point out that arguments must be taken to their logical conclusion in order to be properly considered, and people who refuse to "bite the bullet" and address the full implications of the positions that they espouse are either stupid or lying. Below are some examples found with Google.


Example

Premise: All human life is equally valuable.

Observation: I can point to a human life that has approximately zero value.

Conclusion: Either all human life has approximately zero value, or all human life is not necessarily equally valuable. Anybody who tries to take a third position on this issue is either stupid or lying.


Example

Premise: Permanently damaging a healthy human body in order to alleviate a mental condition is bad.

Observation: Sex-change/gender-affirmation surgery involves permanently damaging a healthy human body in order to alleviate a mental condition.

Conclusion: Either sex-change surgery is bad, or pemanently damaging a healthy human body in order to alleviate a mental condition is not necessarily bad. Anybody who tries to take a third position on this issue is either stupid or lying.