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expand1997 (1)
1Author:  Bicknell, Percy F.Requires cookie*
 Title:  The Pugnacious Style  
 Published:  1997 
 Subjects:  University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text 
 Description: It is the nature of man to love a good hater; at any rate, a considerable part of mankind pays him the tribute of admiration for the vigor and constancy of his animosity. In like manner the reading world enjoys the aggressive energy and the keen stabs, or sledge-hammer blows, of him who writes with the intent of annihilating a foe or exploding a false doctrine; and this in spite of the fact that little of worth in the cause of truth and justice has ever been effected by passionate vehemence of style, no wrong-headed person has ever been bullied into reasonableness, and no enemy has ever been crushed by mere force of vituperation. As is illustrated every week and every day in the heated discussions that in these fevered times claim so much space in our newspapers and magazines, and even in our books, the controversialist falls easily into the error of hurting his cause by undue warmth of manner, and repels by intemperance of speech where he might win by moderation and restraint. If it be true, as experience inclines one to believe, that nobody was ever convinced by argument who was not already more than half persuaded, it is doubly true that no prejudiced person was ever induced by vituperation to renounce his prejudice and alter his opinions.
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