I hesitated to answer this poll for a while because of discomfort with something in its premises, which I've now figured out what it was. On balance I do want to discourage people from saying that...
but
I think that there is a right to be left alone by others, and I think it extends to a right to refuse to enter debate. If presented with a counterargument to something I believe, I may not have the energy and/or time to dispute it, or I may believe that arguing the point is socially inappropriate in context, or whatever. I'd generally express it in those terms ("I disagree with you but I don't want to discuss it right now").
Example: I was at a pastry shop one time wearing a fairly provocative shirt (http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#Science) and the cashier tried to lay an argument for young-earth creationism on me. I was too tired for it and the discussion would have pissed off everyone behind me in line. I said something along the lines of "I don't want to hold up the line arguing about it" which she accepted with good grace.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-06-05 07:21 pm (UTC)but
I think that there is a right to be left alone by others, and I think it extends to a right to refuse to enter debate. If presented with a counterargument to something I believe, I may not have the energy and/or time to dispute it, or I may believe that arguing the point is socially inappropriate in context, or whatever. I'd generally express it in those terms ("I disagree with you but I don't want to discuss it right now").
Example: I was at a pastry shop one time wearing a fairly provocative shirt (http://store.xkcd.com/xkcd/#Science) and the cashier tried to lay an argument for young-earth creationism on me. I was too tired for it and the discussion would have pissed off everyone behind me in line. I said something along the lines of "I don't want to hold up the line arguing about it" which she accepted with good grace.