Quote of the day

“The current God Debate does not seek to make its opponent laugh, but to make an already sympathizing audience sneer. One wonders whether debates aim to convince at all — an object which demands the respect and love of the other — or whether they exist entirely to publicly dismiss others, a thrill unique to those — myself included — who forsake the pursuit of truth for that of popularity. Sarcasm, wit and humor — which all have their place — are wasted. Humor is one of the most powerful weapons human communication can wield, for it makes a friend out of an enemy, but we are too intent using it for the sake of our already-nodding audience to bother using it for the sake of conveying the truth.”

—Marc Barnes, “Chesterton, Shaw, and the Effect of Laughter on Insult”

(Yes, the same Marc Barnes with whom I disagreed recently. I appreciated his being a gentleman during that disagreement, and this latest post shows the Chestertonian philosophy that informs his gentlemanliness.)