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Mon 15 Feb, 2010 06:23 pm
My friend Adam and I are starting to study logic and we got into an argument over a trivial topic. Today is Monday. I asked him last Saturday to email me a screen shot of a web design he told me he just finished. He agreed, but didn't follow through. I reminded him on Sunday, and again early this morning.
Adam agreed to send the screen shot as soon as his daughter laid down for a nap. By 6PM I accused him of being to lazy to do it. He tried some evasive tactics to switch the topic, which I called him out for, and ultimately fell on this defense: "I'd rather show you in person to get better feedback, but since you're so insistent..."
We are going to continue this argument tonight at the gym, since he said he needs to put it on hold until he can fully focus. An interesting aspect of this argument is the fact that the conclusion is a fact ABOUT HIM. I haven't called him out on having a bias against my conclusion since that's not really fair, but he shouldn't need full focus. The truth requires only memory.
My primary argument is that if he didn't send it for 3 days because he preferred that I see it in person, then he would have said so at some point prior to my accusation of him being lazy. Now it appears to be a defense and nothing more.
I'm looking for insight from anybody here. How would you analyze this argument? Keep in mind that my goal is not to deductively prove anything, but to show that the most reasonable explanation is his laziness. Thanks everyone!
@ryancook,
Good luck proving any human behavior as deductive. This argument is wrapped up in motive. Are there deductive motives? This argument, if it is based on logic at all, is based in your induction of past experience with your friend, your induction of you experience with behavior, language, tone, inflection, etc...
@GoshisDead,
Thanks for the response! I didn't say I wanted to prove his behavior as deductive, I said: "Keep in mind that my goal is
not to deductively prove anything, but to show that the most reasonable explanation is his laziness."
@ryancook,
lol oops misread that part.
@ryancook,
ryancook;128720 wrote:My friend Adam and I are starting to study logic and we got into an argument over a trivial topic. Today is Monday. I asked him last Saturday to email me a screen shot of a web design he told me he just finished. He agreed, but didn't follow through. I reminded him on Sunday, and again early this morning.
Adam agreed to send the screen shot as soon as his daughter laid down for a nap. By 6PM I accused him of being to lazy to do it. He tried some evasive tactics to switch the topic, which I called him out for, and ultimately fell on this defense: "I'd rather show you in person to get better feedback, but since you're so insistent..."
We are going to continue this argument tonight at the gym, since he said he needs to put it on hold until he can fully focus. An interesting aspect of this argument is the fact that the conclusion is a fact ABOUT HIM. I haven't called him out on having a bias against my conclusion since that's not really fair, but he shouldn't need full focus. The truth requires only memory.
My primary argument is that if he didn't send it for 3 days because he preferred that I see it in person, then he would have said so at some point prior to my accusation of him being lazy. Now it appears to be a defense and nothing more.
I'm looking for insight from anybody here. How would you analyze this argument? Keep in mind that my goal is not to deductively prove anything, but to show that the most reasonable explanation is his laziness. Thanks everyone!
Maybe he was embarrassed because he said that his daughter laid down for a nap. Or is that what you said.
@kennethamy,
Kennethamy, thanks for responding. His daughter is just over 1 year old so she naps every day, and at that time he was expected to send the screen shot
@ryancook,
ryancook;128733 wrote:Kennethamy, thanks for responding. His daughter is just over 1 year old so she naps every day, and at that time he was expected to send the screen shot
But it is not true that his daughter laid down. Where would she have gotten the down anyway? From a goose?
@ryancook,
Something I probably should have added is that he sent me a blurry, indistinguishable phone pic on Saturday, prompting me to ask for a screen shot (emailed). I do believe he finished the project, although it's not online to see via URL. My friend Katie suggested he didn't finish it, and that's the real reason.
---------- Post added 02-15-2010 at 08:13 PM ----------
kennethamy;128738 wrote:But it is not true that his daughter laid down. Where would she have gotten the down anyway? From a goose?
Clever! However I feel I have better chances in the argument by not going down that road haha.
@ryancook,
If the above is the case the motive could be anything from spite "man he's really annoying me with this I'll make him suffer" to embarassment "man this isn't that good". Motive speculation between friends normally just creates animosity. After all, frustration can always be tied to unmet expectations.
@GoshisDead,
GoshisDead;128743 wrote:If the above is the case the motive could be anything from spite "man he's really annoying me with this I'll make him suffer" to embarassment "man this isn't that good". Motive speculation between friends normally just creates animosity. After all, frustration can always be tied to unmet expectations.
I considered the possibility of spite, and although it seems like a reasonable explanation now, it was not especially reasonable on Saturday or Sunday. Embarrassment is a possibility though, and I will certainly pressure him to accept my laziness theory by introducing the less preferable embarrassment theory.
@ryancook,
Adam conceded, he was just being lazy. Thanks for the help guys!
@ryancook,
I would deem ur friend a patalogic liar (not all 100% sure ..but close) he will choose lies over truth, because he's instinct tells him to lie rather than have guts to tell how things really are.
Either the deeper understanding of him lies in the lack of guts or because he's just cynically and therefore indifferent.
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