Could you have defended your honor, but didn't?

Many times. i consider several points, before i: a. continue, b. is the topic worth it, c. will i loose a friend over this, d.will the outcome be to my advantage or theirs, e. will other people benefit, if i win or lose?

Giving in on a conversation is not actually losing. if other people are listening and watching, they will form their own opinion of the topic and they will decide themselves who is to be the winner or loser. and, along the way, maybe everyone will learn something or have a benefit that they need or deserve.

I almost never go on indefinitely. If the person’s arguments continue to be specious without proper citations or the person is single-mindedly committed to their viewpoint, I usually quit after three or four posts engaging with them.

I don’t like to hang on for a long debate with one person. Often the point of contention won’t help answer the question, and I don’t want to derail a thread just to have the last word. Otherwise, if I think I am just going to repeat myself, or the other person isn’t going to make any more worthwhile points, I’ll stop replying. I don’t consider it giving up: I’m here for quality discussion, not to win arguments.

For me. I make MY point. You make YOUR point.
When it becomes I know you are but what am I, I am done.

Kicking a dead dog is unproductive. Having nothing to do with honor.

Pretty much daily in the workplace. Alas, I still require the income that my job provides.

I’ll kick the dead dog until I get bored ;)

I have to admit I have kicked a dead horse or two longer than I should have….most often it one kick and I am off to bigger and better things. LITS to waste valuable time and energy on dead horses or dead dogs!! ;)

I do a sort of “cost – benfit analysis” in my head to decide if the effort is worth the aggravation.

@CaptainHarley – Right!

On fluther then I’ve been “atttacked” viciously by a particular jelly more than once on different threads but I let it after a sterile retort. The problem seemed to be the person didn’t read my post/comment, misinterperted what I posted/wrote or flat out read more into it what was there. The first time they reacted to me this way then I was confused and a bit testy but since then I just thank them for their attempt to engage and leave off. It’s the nicest way I know to say, “Fuck You”.

I don’t think to continue on and on is defending my honor. Because I believe to state your position once is positive, to state it twice is to reiterate, to keep stating it over and over is a control issue. It is like I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU SEE IT MY WAY WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY! I have run into many like that in Fluther. I don’t see Fluther as a high school debate meet, I see it as a place to answer a question or state my feelings and then move on. I enjoy reading other’s opinions, evaluating and sometimes moving in their direction but I don’t want to be hammered by anyone.

@rooeytoo: There was a stick people comic that read along the lines of, omg I’ve got to get to my computer because someone of the web is WRONG!

@Neizvestnaya – Just keep in mind that it couldn’t have been me that was wrong! heheheh

Once, a dear friend, who was also a co-worker, left a scathing message on my work voice mail when I was on vacation. To a degree, she was right; I had let the cat out of the bag, but there were circumstances around the scenario that, had she asked in person, would have resolved the situation.

I was so shocked and disappointed by her feelings and delivery, that I let it go for the time-being. It was probably a year before we saw each other again (she was then working out of a satellite office), and I finally talked to her about it privately. While there was never an apology, which I understood, she did stop giving me the cold shoulder, and we were able to work together professionally. I miss our old friendship.

As for Fluther discussions, yes, I have been challenged on occasion. As long as it isn’t a personal attack, I welcome it. It helps me learn, and I hope that I thank them for it. There are times when I’ll stand my ground and attempt to support it with facts. And yes, there are a few times where I’ve just backed away and let it go.