Agnostics

[Excited Penguin]

While it is true that words have connotations, people generally prefer their denotations in a conversational or argumentative context, and for a good reason too - clarity. So, it is the norm that unless otherwise specified, one should always use the established definitions of words to express ideas, lest the other parties get confused and don't understand the message being conveyed. Going outside the norm on this is not a good idea. Meaning will be lost and nothing at all will have been gained.

Your problem with this line of reasoning is that your interlocutor has already explained  his usage, and you, instead of listening (surprise, surprise!) prefer pedantry to discussion. You'd rather cleave to a book than to a human being.

Hey-ho, it's all good, but that means that you own at least some of this burden, despite your attempt to shift blame. He's made it pretty goddamned clear what he means, "established definitions" notwithstanding. You simply refuse to talk to him unless he uses words in the way you prefer. You're not listening.

Connotation has its place, though. In poetry for example. Or in philosophy, if I'm not mistaken. Notice that in both cases the medium itself alerts the consumer of the information as to the possibly connotative nature of the words being used. Change the medium, though, and the same cannot always be said to hold true.

Connotation also has a place in conversation.

I'm not really interested in debating any of your points any further. I believe you are emotionally compromised and so that much more illogical and, consequently, harder to debate.

You can believe what you will about me, it's of no consequence. The fact that you're wrong about me won't change anything in your mind, and that's cool, because I don't give two shits rubbed together about your opinion of me.

But I do take note of the fact that you will shy away from difficult debate, and do so under a smoke-screen of personal attacks.  For all your flaunting of Penguin 2.0, not much has changed, now has it?

I will summarise my disagreement, nevertheless, thusly:

This is a dick move. Only a person who knows is losing the argument would ever resort to such low tactics as to attack the practice of using perfectly good and established definitions of words. Only someone who is either uneducated, dishonest or both would do this. For obvious reasons, such a discussion is childish and pointless, and can never lead to anything but a continual sabotage of itself by the party guilty of doing this.

Clinging to bookish definitions which only trail current usage rather than direct them is the hobgoblin of a restricted mind which cannot and usually will not allow itself the flexibility to actually communicate with others on a meaningful level, and is the hallmark of a person who should stick to books, which of course cannot talk back to the genius reading them. Furthermore, the retreat into personal attack which you've engaged in throughout our conversation here is the flag of someone wielding a vapid argument.

I'm not interested. Both of you - grow up and learn to be wrong(in public).

You're not even intelligent enough to understand that this is not about right or wrong, but about exchanging ideas in the hope of growth. I, in my own place, was dumb enough to hope that we could have an enriching conversation. I sure am enjoying reading the input of others here ... but you add more heat than light.

I won't make that mistake any more. Your inability to entertain differing views without resorting to insult, condescension, and rudeness marks you as unworthy of significant interaction. You can expect the occasional headshot, but I won't waste any more time on you, rigid of mind, convinced of your own superiority, and unwilling to look outside your own little bubble.

For all your breast-beating about changing, you're very much the same, you've only learnt some new words. You're still as transparent as ever, and it ain't a pretty sight, kid.

I think you're too fast to make everything so personal. I agree you should just fuck off and mind your own business then, 'cause it's always the same with you. You end up bitching about me by the end of every interaction we have. I'm actually done with you, but I'm sure you'll do it again.

Respectfully, of course.

Have a good day and everything.