Latter Day Sinner

I argue with strangers on the internet more than a rational man should. I make points that I believe are true or that I am at least fairly confident. I am often met by a hostile audience. And when I make a point I am often told that I must prove it. I can and sometimes do give the evidence that persuades me of my claim. That almost never convinces anyone that my claim is correct. They also rarely convince me that I am the one in error. One of the things to which I have become absolutely sure in these debates is that the backfire effect is real. I argue my points and convince myself more, and they argue their points and it reinforces their own beliefs. I rarely win arguments on the internet but I rarely lose them either. Those as I said at the beginning are not the actions of a rational man.