Why isn't my debating considered intelligent?

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I don't understand why, but many people tell me that I sound like an unintelligent five year old when I argue.

I get good grades, do very well on english essays, have an excellent vocabulary, am in the John Hopkins talented youth program, and spend a lot of time pondering human nature.

I will provide a run down of my latest argument:

Me: "If the meaning of life is happiness, then couldn't a person who dropped out of high school and spends all of their time watching TV have a fulfilling life, because they are happy?"
Them: "They won't always be happy. They're going to get sick of it. They aren't learning anything."
Me: "Why do you need to learn?"
Them: "It's human nature. You HAVE to learn. It's what separates humans from other animals."
Me: "How do you know? Who said that? Can you prove it?"
Them: "You just need to learn. Your brain needs it."
Me: "There's no proof."
Them: "You sound retarded! I thought you were an intelligent person, but you just sound stupid!"

I was told that it was a circular argument with no purpose, and that my questions were unintelligent because they consisted solely of "Why?".


I'd like to get this figured out so I won't embarrass myself anymore. I just don't see how my questioning is uneducated! What's wrong with discussing a pointless topic? It keeps you busy. What else are you going to do, watch TV? Why is it important to have a point?
"Them" isn't the John Hopkins crowd. "Them" is my mother and 13 year old brother.
I still feel as though I am inept. I once tried to debate with a very intelligent teacher, who totally destroyed my logic.

Perhaps I am just too eager for a fight? Even though I don't have a point, I get very emotional in basically playing devils advocate to whatever their opinion may be. I'm not proving anything, I'm just questioning them to see who they really are. I want to know if their beliefs run to their very core, or they just accept them because everyone else does.

How can I get away from circular questions? I don't know how to question other than asking "why?". I feel like anything else, like, "Do you think X because Y?" would just be nudging them to agree with me, or manipulating them into some other topic where I can beat them. I don't want to "win", I just want to know WHY they think what they think.
 
Ok, I see no reason as to why they call you stupid, or retarded. Only people who cannot conceptualize or grasp the meaning use such derogatory things as a "defense" if you will. It is in human nature to question everything, I find myself periodically questioning many things. People who do not know why say such things to deflect the debate away from the question why. They just assume it is correct. They think that because it is most popular that it is indeed correct without knowing why it should or shouldn't be.
Yes, it does indeed keep you busy although I would rather listen to music or play games.
 
whole science which humanity developing is based on Axioms. Axioms is a fancy term for presumptions. There is five of them. They do not have a proof, yet, legislated as impeccable Truth and serving as a foundation of all human scientific developments. Beneath of this axioms there is a void, no substance....So , entire knowledge of human kind is based on sand . Babylon Tower build on questionable foundation.We are talking about whole thing is a "tower".of individual or global collection of knowledge..in which we are all dwell, by the way. .
 
My dear. The penalty of being as intelligent as yourself is that you must put up with the ignorance and stupidity of others. Your family make their reactions based on societies standards and anyone that even questions or begs for an explanation to these standards are labelled as stupid.

We judge what is meaningful or pointless on what we were brought up to believe, our environment... and we believe this to be our common sense. It is in fact our common conditioning. Being considered intelligent and getting good grades is really not important if you can think.
 
Most people respond only to their own level of thinking. They will inevitably defend the status quo of the society they have been raised in. When someone like yourself gives a different view then what is considered to be a normal one, they cannot understand it and throw it to the side believing "your crazy" or "retarded." But in fact you are the smarter of the two. Harsh words like retarded or stupid are the response to a view one cannot understand (generally). So, my friend, your are not retarded and you must endure the ignorance, for lack of a better word, of your piers.
 
the problem of not having a point is that you can't clearly figure out what you are asking which kind of makes it difficult to come up with a conclusion.
let's look at your argument which isn't stupid if anything the responder could have given a better response.
you:"If the meaning of life is happiness, then couldn't a person who dropped out of high school and spends all of their time watching TV have a fulfilling life, because they are happy?"
my response: some people actually lead this kind of life and are happy. However society discourages this kind of existence because it is meaningless. How can you experience any part of life (other than vicariously) by only watching tv? How would you make money? It doesn't seem there would be a way to provide yourself with an income and if you think you will find a sugar mommy/daddy you are probably not because they don't want to work hard and watch you sit on your duff watching tv.
well I hope this helps and if you would like me to add any more points or anything just edit I will check back and edit as well if you like.
good luck.
 
Provided in your example, it's not really a question of debating intelligence, I'd say. It's just a close-minded argument (on their part). Still, your argument is an argument with no purpose.

Actually it does has "purpose", but its just that it becomes redundant and circular. You could refute any claim with "Can you prove it?".

L: Rap Sucks.
M: Prove it.
L: It's just slang and crap beats with no talent
M: Can you prove that?
L: Yeah, 30 artists have the same beat in their song, and they all just talk with swear words.
M: Can you prove that?
L: Yeah, check out these lyrics. "Ho, getting them prostitutes"
M: Prove it.

From here on, L could say, "Dude, just look at the lyrics".

Then M replies: How do you know?
 
People are stupid; they don't question things like smart people. Don't sweat it... you sound REALLY smart.

Having a point is important, though... satisfaction seems to be the only thing truly worth striving for, and if one truly believes there to be no point, they're likely not to be satisfied. But the point should be determined by an interpretation of the questions and not predetermined by an unconscious interpretation; most people think they know the answers to the questions you ask, so they think you're questioning's stupid. Little do they know how much they assume...

(I did the john hopkins thing too; don't let that "pish posh I'm smarter than you" crowd put you down, assuming its the same where you live)
 
People are stupid; they don't question things like smart people. Don't sweat it... you sound REALLY smart.

Having a point is important, though... satisfaction seems to be the only thing truly worth striving for, and if one truly believes there to be no point, they're likely not to be satisfied. But the point should be determined by an interpretation of the questions and not predetermined by an unconscious interpretation; most people think they know the answers to the questions you ask, so they think you're questioning's stupid. Little do they know how much they assume...

(I did the john hopkins thing too; don't let that "pish posh I'm smarter than you" crowd put you down, assuming its the same where you live)
 
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