User:S3ahawk/Why?:Use Ad Hominem
So often humans find themselves in arguments and debates over various subjects such as pro-choice, whether or not to withdraw the troops from Iraq, and whether or not to kill that damned baby who has been crying for the last three hours on this flipping trans-Atlantic flight. Yes, the supposed experts in communications and whatnot refer to the utilization of ad hominem as a fallacy. However, it goes beyond facts and makes the user appear to have leverage in an argument. Furthermore, it allows the user to come off as more intelligent than his or her adversary.
Types of ad hominem[edit | edit source]
Below is a listing of various types of ad hominems and their different uses and advantages.
Ad hominem abusive[edit | edit source]
This sort of ad hominem revolves around making the opponent feel so wonderfully about his or herself that suicide becomes a valid option. Certainly one may see this approach as a fallacy based on this unfounded conception that insults have no pertinence to the subject at hand. However, one must silence his opponent with criticisms of certain traits (physical or personal) such as his or her greasy hair, his or her insatiable nymphomania, or even his or her supposed possession of the DVD box set to Sex and the City. The "ultra combo" of ad hominem abusive is a successful comparison to Sarah Jessica Parker- nobody has gone on to win an argument after proper utilization of this technique.
Below are some examples to reiterate what ad hominem abusive is, and why it bolsters one's position in an argument greatly.
- "There is no way in which Jenny could be speaking with validity in regards to Hillary Clinton's credentials: she's a woman."
- "9/11 was not a conspiracy due to the fact that you sir, are a butt-face."
See the dominance that these statements provide? That is success.
Ad hominem "tu quoque"[edit | edit source]
Also known as the highly complex "na na na na na na, you are a hypocrite" argument, this type of ad hominem points out that the subject has acted in a way inconsistent to his or her argumentative words. This method shifts attention away from the user by making causing the subject to appear as a hypocrite.
A noteworthy examples of ad hominem "tu quoque":
- "BUT MOOOOOOM, YOU LET JIMMY DRINK HIS SIPPY CUP IN THE LIVING ROOM!"
Now that is what the deans of argument call flawless victory!