It’s happened to almost everyone, well those of us who engage in debate anyway. For every worthy opponent you find who holds a differing opinion but is intelligent and open to logical discourse there are two or three “bricks”.
What is a brick? Well.. just look at someone who patently doesn’t get it, will never get it, and in some sense is so afraid of “getting it” they won’t even admit the possibility they don’t have a clue.
That’s a brick ๐
Now, you know how bricks are… they say the sky looks red (insert any obvious silliness here) and you point out that looks blue, they immediately begin to tell you how red it is… you point out all the science for why it appears blue… they begin to yammer about how it is really red and no one ever listens to them because they are so clever they frighten everyone.
Now – this is radically different than the worthy opponent. The worthy opponent may feel the sky looks red as well, but will have interesting and intelligent ideas on why this is so – and you definitely get the feeling that sometime in the future you might be able to agree or at least learn a lot from each other.
Not a brick. Cthulu his bad self could lay it all out for a brick and they will simply think it’s all part of the conspiracy of people who are out there to make sure their wisdom doesn’t upset the world.
Eventually, you realize that the only reason to debate bricks is for fun – your never going to teach them anything… it’s really now about amusing yourself with them.
Because you know that in a few days you’ll walk into a place and hear the brick talking to a group of folks telling them how red they sky is and how they have been trying to say it was red all along and no one wants to admit it ๐ Go ahead, shred ’em if ya want – they audience will appreciate it and the brick won’t know the difference anyway! Think of it as a hobby ๐
A few more interesting characteristics of bricks…
For a short period of time, they will occasionally convince others that the sky looks red too. This is because it takes a while for people to realize the brick is a brick and they will figure that anyone so passionate must have some evidence or logic someplace to back them up. Bricks thrive on the benefit of the doubt.
Remember what I said about 2 or 3 bricks for each worthy opponent? Well they are usually standing right behind the “W.O.” going “yeah! what they said!”.
Bricks will spout the pet theory at any given opportunity. Usually the second thing they say after “Hi!” is “you’ll hear a lot about me, I’m the one that dares tell people the truth about the sky!”
Interestingly bricks will get some support for they theory (whatever it is) from ‘brick groupies’. ‘Brick groupies’ are folks who think any idea that is that radical simply has to be the mark of a rebellious mind – and they so want to be rebellious that they will just follow right along.
Anyway have fun with ’em or ignore ’em… but keep your eyes our for ’em. And the next time you meet one just think to yourself…
Now there goes a real brick.
P.S. No, I do NOT want to get into another oh so clever email debate on the sky being blue. Yadda, yadda, yadda, water vapor, yadda, yadda, spectrum, yadda.