I get the feeling that no matter what I say James R will find some excuse to disagree with it.
It's not a matter of finding excuses to disagree with you. You're wrong about so many things, so consistently, that you make a good example of what others should work to avoid. I mean, it's been literally
years that you've spent wasting your time on constructing fantasies, and your posts would have us believe that you have learned nothing about critical thinking in all that time. It's quite incredible to watch.
That's how desperate he is to feel right about something.
Thanks for the character analysis. I will return the favour below.
As is often the case, you're also wrong about this. I'm quite used to being right about things (in fact, I mostly try not to lecture people unless I'm very confident I'm right), so no call at all for desperation. Perhaps you're projecting.
Every sentence a chance to argue the opposite and win some imaginary competition.
You lost your argument about UFOs, ghosts and Bigfoot years ago, but you keep coming back to re-emphasise that you lack the ability to reflect on your own incompetence when it comes to these topics. Mostly, I just correct your errors now and then, for the benefit of new readers who may have fallen into the same traps that have so hopelessly ensnared you.
Do you ever just have a casual conversation online instead of always dissecting every sentence someone posts?
Sure. Do you ever have a casual conversation in which you don't make unjustifiable claims about the existence of fantasies like Bigfoot, alien spaceships or ghosts?
Not every post is a debate position.
In a thread in which you continually post about your unjustified belief that aliens are visiting earth, you are inviting debate on that matter. I know you find it annoying that evidence matters more than your personal biases.
I doubt James R is so arrogant to think he can or even needs to correct my evidence-based point of view. I'm not some inferior pupil here.
You misunderstand our relative positions in relation to the subject matter you wish to discuss. It's not a matter of my being arrogant when I point to your gullibility and your lack of critical thinking on the matter. You brought your stuff to me; I didn't come to you asking for it.
When you choose to post on a science forum, you can expect to get answers from some people, at least, who are familiar with the scientific method and who are expert critical thinkers. Probably you are more used to posting to UFO fanboy sites, where you all have a chin wag about your shared alien fantasies, everybody pats each other on the back, and you never have to deal with people who care about the truth. If you want a friendly support group for UFO tragics, there are plenty of places you can go for that. But here, you'll occasionally be confronted by inconvenient truths. You ought to expect that when you come here, rather than getting all riled up about it.
Regarding your ability as a pupil, unfortunately you've been here long enough that the data is in, and it's incontrovertible. When it comes to evaluating the woo, you
are an inferior pupil. Many people - not just me - have spent considerable time attempting to educate you about the basics of evidence, common sense and skepticism. Despite that, you make no progress in your learning, and merely continue to repeat past mistakes.
I think the main reason you make no progress is that you're an unwilling pupil. You've never told us the real reason you're so ready to reject anything that threatens to puncture your bubble of fantasy, or why you get so angry when I post that kind of thing. But whatever the reason, it must go deep with you. I think that you have made the woo a part of your personal identity to such an extent that you feel that letting go of it would be an exercise in self-annihilation.
