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Person Online's avatar

As someone who definitely likes alcohol a little too much, the best way I can describe it is that once you start drinking, you develop a keen awareness that if you stop, you'll feel crappy. When the buzz wears off you'll be left feeling lethargic with a headache. But if you just have another one, you can keep the buzz going. And of course that progresses until the buzz turns into a blackout.

As far as wanting to argue with people on the Internet, I was that way when I was young, like in my early twenties. I remember being unreasonably mad at people on the Internet and looking back, I don't know why. Maybe it is just an age thing. As I've gotten older, I still sit here and post things, but I just can't bring myself to care when someone is wrong. These days when I see a comment or post that is just hopelessly stupid, more often than not I ignore it and don't even bother to respond.

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GSalmon's avatar

In support of your quip about persuasion occurring “at least once in history,” the late, great, George Salmon relates an amusing confirmation that can give us all hope:

“Dionysius of Alexandria is a man whom we know mainly by some extracts from his writings preserved by Eusebius; and there is none of the early Fathers who impresses me more favourably as a man of earnest piety, good sense, moderation, and Christian charity. On the occasion to which I refer he worked what I account one of the greatest and most authentic miracles of ecclesiastical history. His diocese being much troubled with disputes on the Millennarian controversy, he assembled those whom perhaps another bishop would have denounced as heretics; and he held a three days’ public discussion with them: the result being what I have never heard of as the result of any other public discussion—that he talked his opponents round, and brought all to complete agreement with himself.”

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