[Ads-l] Quote: Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience

[James Eric Lawson]

 From my perspective, the quote you mention ("never argue with stupid 
people, etc.") is of a piece with other similar advice, including 
negative polarity fights with chimney sweeps, pigs, polecats (aka 
skunks), et al. For some of these, and some early texts mentioning them, 
see the question and answers at "Tinkle contest with a skunk", on 
English Language & Usage:

https://english.stackexchange.com/q/486645

Quote Investigator articles are referenced in one of the answers there.

My latest discovery along these lines is in the Appendix of a 1705 
edition of Defoe's _A true collection of the writings of the author of 
The true born English-man_. The Appendix is of uncertain provenance, but 
the advice is the usual:

1756  Leonard Howard *A collection of letters* v2, Appendix page 36 
...if we quarrel with a Fool it is like taking up the Box or throwing 
our Stake upon an empty Gaming Table, we have the Discredit to be seen 
in the Place and can win nothing.

https://archive.org/details/collectionoflett02howaiala/page/36/mode/2up?q=quarrel



On 1/29/23 23:38, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> The saying in the subject line is often attributed to humorist Mark
> Twain and comedian George Carlin without substantive evidence. Matt
> Seybold who is an Associate Professor of American Literature & Mark
> Twain Studies at Elmira College performed excellent research on this
> topic. He connected the saying to actor Yul Brynner and French artist
> Jean Cocteau.
> 
> Now I’ve posted an article:
> https://quoteinvestigator.medium.com/316627b20567
> Abbreviated article: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2023/01/29/never-argue/
> 
> [Begin acknowledgements]
> Great thanks to Marian T. Wirth, Brian Zachary Mayer, Thayne Davidson
> Muller, Robert McMillan, AnxiousPony, and Jane Bella whose inquiries
> led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Also,
> thanks to Matt Seybold for his pioneering research.
> [End acknowledgements]
> 
> Feedback and early citations would be welcome
> Garson
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org