Posted by Elizabeth on February 28, 2002, at 1:06:19
In reply to Re: benzos for alcoholics? » Elizabeth, posted by jazzdog on February 25, 2002, at 15:24:12
> My long experience in addiction counselling has taught me never to waste time attempting to convince those who have already made up their minds. Especially when they might be dealing with their own denial issues. So I'll withdraw from this debate.
Jane, don't be coy. What exactly is it that you're accusing me of? What makes you think I have "denial issues?"
Aren't *you* the person who has already made up her mind, who doesn't want to hear anything that doesn't support her rigid, uncompromising opinion? Which one of us was it who did not respond to any of the arguments and questions in the other's post, but instead, made some nasty insinuations and announced that it wasn't worthwhile to discuss the issue further? Not I.
It's clear that you want your readers to accept you as an expert on the subject of addiction, and therefore to believe your opinion without any reason other than that it is yours. Appeal to authority is generally a weak form of argument, but it is especially weak when the putative authority is the person trying to make the argument ("you should believe me because I'm an expert"). It's nice that you've known some addicts, but drawing solely on that information is a mistake, particularly since the conclusion you are trying to draw is a generalization. "Always" propositions are dangerous because it's all too easy for a counterexample to creep up and bite you on the *ss.
Other people (including myself) have posted information that directly contradicts your beliefs, and furthermore, we have been able to do so without having to resort to personal attacks. I think that your expertise would be more impressive if you were to express interest in new information rather than taking offense at it. Making snide comments about me because I disagree with you, and then ducking out of the debate (without responding to any of the arguments that challenged your opinion), smacks of something other than expertise. If this is your style of debate, you aren't going to convince too many people. The people on this board are, by and large, smarter than that.
You are of course free to ignore this post rather than responding. Maybe you really have convinced yourself that the people who disagree with you "have already made up their minds" and have "denial issues." But I think it's safe to say that you're the only person who believes that (if indeed you do). You've already tried to back out; it just looks like you're avoiding having to admit that you're wrong. If you have an argument beyond an appeal to your own putative authority, please, by all means, post it.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:94946
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020222/msgs/95775.html