comment: >
  
  When you argue with dumb people you learn how to argue with dumb people.
context: This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
  Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
  (For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
  Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >
  
  It's very rare for someone to "win" a political or philosophical argument in the moment. Most "wins" come later when the information you shared or learned meets a slightly different context in a different moment and begins to make sense, even if you don't necessarily tie that epiphany back to any specific interaction, or even if there is no epiphany moment, just a slow evolution of view. >
  
  Pro tip: you can't "win" an argument. You just have to be satisficed that your point got across to the other person. >
  
  Again, it's not actually about winning. It's about learning. >
  
  No it’s about winning. >
  
  What's the prize? >
  
  The satisfaction of being, err thinking you're right? >
  
  You can beat stupid, but you don’t win >
  
  If I can point and laugh I'd consider that a win. >
  
  There’s a guy downtown who wins this way against everyone. >
  
  Six years in the Navy.
  I promise you, sometimes you have to figure out ways to explain things in a way a dumb person can understand because someone else got injured or killed. Sometimes it's just experience talking.
  "You can't make anything idiot-proof because there is always a better idiot." >
  
  
  There is a considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists.
  
  - Yosemite Park Ranger on challenges to design a bear-proof garbage can >
  
  I legitimately had an acquaintance who is an engineer (not the best) fail to open one of those trash cans, and return saying it was locked, despite us explicitly telling him how to open it ... It wasn't locked. >
  
  It's why I post on Reddit. I talk through things rather than just playing them out in my head.
  Sometimes I'm really wrong and I get my ass handed to me. That's a part of the learning process. >
  
  It's actually a lot faster learning process if you go through with things than to keep thinking about what ifs and never throwing it out there. The only issue is, getting your ass handed to you hurts a lot and therefore, not many people are willing to go through with it. >
  
  It only hurts if it's a firmly held belief. 
  If it's information processing,  my mind is malleable to evidence. 
  That's the difference. >
  
  How you handle your own feeling when you realize you are wrong too. Some people will double down, very few can handle being wrong with grace. >
  
  Not OP but I’ll be salted for about a minute that I didn’t understand/know something as well as I should have and then move on with my life >
  
  ~~I disagree but only with you calling this arguing.~~ 
  I disagree if and only if by arguing you mean a heated exchange. (Ty u/mets2016)
  In my experience, arguments are a terrible method to convince anyone of anything important. Try to imagine arguing with a 3 year old about some truth versus simply speaking the truth in their presence, without confrontation. A toddler, or a dumb person, is more likely to mimic what they respect or what vindicates their ideas and emotions than they are to admit being wrong.
  I absolutely agree that learning to explain the same concept to a variety of people in a variety of ways is an excellent way to become smarter. >
  
  I think you’re conflating 2 different meanings of arguing
  Arguing can mean either:
  
  A heated exchange
  A series of statements used to justify why your claim is true >
  
  Relevant >
  
  No it's not. >
  
  All no's are not yeses
  Is that a word? What's the plural of yes? >
  
  Yesses >
  
  Arguing with dumb people is like playing chess with a pigeon. Eventually they shit all over the chess board and strut around like they won. >
  
  Yeah, you cannot argue with people who do not understand how things work. Most of the time when you argue with dumb people you learn that they have absolutely no knowledge and have to end up teaching them. >
  
  
  and have to end up teaching them.
  
  That's kind of the whole point of this post >
  
  You get this quote from a Minecraft parkour shower thought tiktok or something? >
  
  Ludwig most likely just finished watching his latest react video >
  
  Yeah. I was reference Ludwig’s video >
  
  Ay was looking for this lol >
  
  This is why I'm big on honesty and direct communication. Sometimes I'm the dumb person, and I find that out when people let me know why my thinking is wrong. Lots of things I wouldn't understand if i wasn't willing to disagree with people. >
  
  If you can't explain something simply you don't understand it well enough >
  
  Nah. I am a lot better at understanding stuff than I am at putting it into words >
  
  I'm kinda confused by your comment.  If you really, truly, understand something you shouldn't have any issue explaining those things to others. Are you able to expand on your comment? >
  
  I've always had trouble putting into words what I'm thinking or wanting to say. I can think about the exact steps, method or explanation of a concept but when I want to say it I always fumble. It's more to do with my grasp of communication rather than my understanding of a subject. >
  
  Oh that makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain. >
  
  I'm surprised with myself that I was able to get that across in a way that makes sense hah. >
  
  You did well, and in our small interaction you really didn't have any communication problem.  Maybe you just need a little more confidence?  Keep it up! >
  
  I wouldn't say that arguing does this, since arguing is more about trying to find flaws in the other person's argument while pushing yours, but teaching people who have trouble grasping abstract concepts does 100% make you not only much more proficient in the material, but also makes you seem more intelligent because you're a better communicator. >
  
  Being able to find flaws in other people's statements isn't an entirely useless skill if you have the self awareness to apply what you've learned to your own thought processes. >
  
  I don't understand this post. Someone please explain it to me.