On 1-5-2009 20:57, Mueen Nawaz wrote:
> Warp wrote:
>> Mueen Nawaz <m.n### [at] ieeeorg> wrote:
>>>> I find it irrational not to plan for sustainability.
>>>         You know all these laws we have about Internet arguments? Godwins Law,
etc?
>>>         I need to come up with a catchy sounding phrase that points out the
>>> meaningless throwing around of the word "irrational". It almost always
>>> has no value when it comes to the argument.
>>   I honestly fail to see how the use of the word "irrational" was meaningless
>> and without value in his post. It looks to me like a perfectly valid opinion,
>> which makes a point.
> 
> 	The problem with the word rational is that it's typically used with
> assumptions that are not commonly shared.
> 
Rational implies that 'ratio' i.e. reasoning was applied. As such the 
use of irrational when applied to the position of another person in a 
discussion is a bit like suggesting that that person did not think 
everything through. Which is of course not a fruitful position to take 
in a discussion. Used like this it probably needs an identifier, yes.

In this case I don't think that is what somebody was meaning. I think he 
meant that it is a way of thinking that is completely alien to him. As 
long as he is aware that other positions are possible and that his POV 
is just as alien to others there is no problem. When he thinks that his 
position is the only one that is logical and well though through there 
would be a problem. At least in the sense that he would not be high on 
my list of people to meet IRL. Then again somebody probably very much 
likes his privacy anyway.

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