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Look, I'll make this clear, as that is the spirit of this whole forum:
I do not care about being an edgelord, I do not care if you are offended, or if you are flattered. I care about being correct.
Edgelords end up being correct in some cases because they can speak on matters that polite people will carefully ignore.
Being correct is not a necessary condition for being an edgelord, however.
If my being (mostly) correct makes you think I'm an edgelord, whatever. I hold a ton of other opinions that are 'edgy' to some crowds but very normal in others. I'm not trying to shock or offend anyone.
If anything, its "heh heh my chance to be a high decoupler." But even that isn't really accurate. Being a decoupler is also adaptive in the legal field, though.
If you want me to shut up about this topic; or ideally, you want me to come around to your side and agree that you're correct, there's plenty you can do.
I personally keep trying to find data that disagrees with me. The unfortunate truth is the more I look I keep stumbling across more data that suggests the other data is accurate and my position is correct.
Point out where my analysis is flawed. I'm taking good data and misinterpreting it, or missing a lot of context, or am engaging in clearly biased/motivated reasoning.
Point out where my premises are flawed.
Show me a superior theory that is still supported by good data.
If its NOT the case that women have gotten progressively less appealing to men, less mentally stable, more antisocial, more unpleasant and unhappy, and that this seems uncorrelated to male behavior...
Well, what is the competing interpretation?
Point out a solution that I'm missing, or explain how the problem isn't a problem, or the problem will go away on its own.
Point out actual counterexamples that show my position is not a sufficient explanation of the observed data/phenomenon.
Basically, I'm sitting here with data I think is mostly solid, all pointing in the same direction, with a general theory/interpretation of it that completely explains the data I'm seeing, and suggests particular solutions to the nature of the problem.
And EVERY TIME I ENGAGE WITH SOMEONE WHO THINKS I'M WRONG, they utterly fail to undermine or effectively attack any pillar on which I've formed this belief. Its all argument from some position of personal belief that doesn't appear to be informed by true facts in the world, and often is based on experience that is utterly outdated from a time before the problem manifested in earnest (read: older than 10 years, before dating apps arose).
I remain open to being persuaded. But I will simply no sell the social pressure and shaming attempts. I do not care if you think its 'cringe,' I do not hold your (or anyone elses') opinion of me in high enough regard for that to matter.
If you find this personally discomfiting I'm 'sorry' but this is one of the few places on the internet where social pressure is not a defining variable in how our discourse proceeds. I want you to come back with an earth-shattering insight that proves this part of my worldview incorrect. I will not respond to attempts to prove my worldview 'icky,' or 'unpopular' or 'impolite' or 'just c'mon dude really how can you say that?'
You're convinced you're right. I'm convinced I'm right. I don't think we can go much further on from here, apart from butting heads and drawing the ire of the mods.
Hot button topics are hot, and get people hot under the collar. And when I'm hot, I react with heat.
I'm convinced I'm less wrong than you are, that's the extent of my claim. I'm surely still wrong in some ways.
If you have any articulate reason to believe you're right, I would view your logic and arguments with interest.
But if not, then I will continue to present my arguments in ways that will hopefully convince the other readers that you are wrong, OR inspire one of them to bring forward an insight.
If neither you nor I are going to learn anything from this, well, I'm satisfied with some third party learning from me.
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