That's because insults win. If you want a civil debate, you have to do what this site does and just ban anyone who uses the objectively superior tactic.otseng wrote:I would generalize this to everyone, not just believers. As you've experienced, just go anywhere on the internet and it's rare to find civil discussions.
I'm not really knocking it. It's just the way things are. People will murder unless forced not to. People will steal unless forced not to. People will win every argument with insults unless forced not to.
Insulting always wins a debate against someone who doesn't insult.
But if both parties insult, there isn't much of an exchange.
Insulting to win a debate is therefore a parasitical behaviour - a behaviour that succeeds over mutually advantageous behaviour by destroying the mutual advantage (in this case, the exchange of ideas) and converting it into personal advantage.
Another example of a parasitical behaviour is theft. Not everyone can be a thief, or everyone loses. Some people must use the non-theft strategy for there to be anything to steal.
Are all parasitical behaviours wrong, or just some?