tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post4274814099211512617..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On being persuaded about convinceDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-7563594664309013082011-09-28T17:37:45.855+00:002011-09-28T17:37:45.855+00:00There's a rhyme I'm very fond of which ill...There's a rhyme I'm very fond of which illustrates the telicity of <i>convince</i> by deliberately misusing it:<br /><br />A man convinced against his will<br />Is of the same opinion still.<br /><br />That is to say, people may sincerely say that you have convinced them with your rational arguments, but if they do not want to believe your claims, they will soon enough revert to their former views.<br /><br />Some humorless persons, noting that <i>convinced</i> is used in a non-standard way here, use <i>persuaded</i> instead, sacrificing the wit. I even find ghits for <i>compelled</i> and <i>coerced</i>, which lose the sense altogether in favor of the obvious "You can't change people's minds by force."John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-61253615466164285012011-09-06T17:19:38.924+00:002011-09-06T17:19:38.924+00:00"I found his argument convincing but not pers..."I found his argument convincing but not persuasive" sounds like something you'd find in a hardboiled novel, with the "argument" being a .44.The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-80829270289400651052011-08-27T15:50:27.733+00:002011-08-27T15:50:27.733+00:00I was unaware of the distinction between (1) and (...I was unaware of the distinction between (1) and (2). It just never occurred to me. Thank you very much, Dr. Crystal!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341330140084823857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-78245072219399560122011-08-27T08:55:16.568+00:002011-08-27T08:55:16.568+00:00It's just a variant of (4), to my mind. Reinfo...It's just a variant of (4), to my mind. Reinforces the fact that there is a semantic distinction here.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-29167177672200562902011-08-26T17:40:06.812+00:002011-08-26T17:40:06.812+00:00Professor Crystal:
I take your point, but how do y...Professor Crystal:<br />I take your point, but how do you feel about this positive sentence, as an intensifier: "I found his argument persuasive and convincing?"Marc Leavittnoreply@blogger.com