Ad Hominem
There she goes,
floating fables,
swilling lies,
propping dear captain.
Can we trust this boor,
spewing shifty slander,
twisted tongue,
and crooked teeth?
Just look at her
empty eyes,
pint-sized paws,
puckered lips.
She feeds our demons,
applauds our monsters,
drags their chains,
calls it truth.
But would you expect less
from one who swims with sharks,
rolls with pigs,
quacks with ducks?
Responding to Ad Hominem Attacks
I’ll admit it’s easy to slip into name-calling when someone takes a shot at me. Ad hominem attacks sting, and the instinct to throw one back is strong. But I’ve learned that it rarely helps. Instead, I try to remember these steps:
- Stay calm. If I match insult with insult, I’ve already lost the point. A steady voice carries more weight than anger.
- Name the tactic. Saying “That’s an ad hominem” can shine a light on the move without escalating it.
- Redirect the focus. I’ve found it helps to say, “Let’s go back to the actual issue.” It keeps the conversation on track.
- Know when to disengage. Some people won’t move past insults. I’ve learned it’s okay to step away instead of wasting energy.
If you’d like more insight, Scribber offers a clear definition of ad hominem and Greater Good has useful advice on keeping arguments productive.
It’s a reminder I need as much as anyone: attack ideas, not people.
Author’s note: I wrote this after a reading a disappointing thread on Twitter. I try to model good rhetorical principals, but it is so easy to slip into madness and cheap shots when we confront others. This was as much a confessions as it was a condemnation. I daily commit to do better.
Check out my other poems here.