---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Attacking the person instead of the…"
description: "\"“Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned in logic, widespread in physics, and not used nearly enough in humanism.”\" — Bauvard"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg"
---

#  Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned…

![“Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned in logic, widespread in physics, and not used nearly enough in humanism.” quote by Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg)

> ““Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned in logic, widespread in physics, and not used nearly enough in humanism.””

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Personal attacks sidetrack logical debate, yet they appear frequently in scientific discourse and are underused in humane dialogue.

**In simple terms:** Attacking people instead of ideas is common but unproductive.

Key Takeaway

Focus on arguments, not individuals.

Themes

logic ethics communication

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

ethical educational

When to use this quote

- political debates
- online forums
- academic conferences
- personal conflicts

Key Concepts

ad hominem rhetoric

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we resort to personal attacks?
- How can we promote argument‑focused discourse?

A Different Perspective

Some fields may rely on critique of the person for practical reasons.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/)

## Related quotes

> [There is nothing - no program, no hobby, no vice, no crime - that does not 'create jobs'. Tsunamis, computer viruses and shooting convenience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-horner/there-is-nothing-no-program-no-hobby-no-vice-no-crime-that-does-not/)

Chris Horner

> [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/)

[Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/)

[Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/)

> [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

## More by Bauvard

> [“The problem with our society is that our values aren’t in the right place. There’s an awful lot of bleeding and naked bodies on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/the-problem-with-our-society-is-that-our-values-aren-t-in-the-right/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Night clubs are where Americans learn the laws of motion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/night-clubs-are-where-americans-learn-the-laws-of-motion/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Mom always said I was born to sit in the electric chair, but I'm proving her wrong. I'm going to die on my knees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/mom-always-said-i-was-born-to-sit-in-the-electric-chair-but-i-m/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Folk wisdom: quaint sayings of urban sophisticates compiled from the suburbs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/folk-wisdom-quaint-sayings-of-urban-sophisticates-compiled-from-the/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Dentistry is a precondition to love at first sight. When your eyes meet she beams with happiness, but when you smile back she shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/dentistry-is-a-precondition-to-love-at-first-sight-when-your-eyes/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“When it’s not enough to veto your children’s tendencies, you must in vitro them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/when-it-s-not-enough-to-veto-your-children-s-tendencies-you-must-in/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Don't swallow: your bulging, blushing cheeks display the saliva you want to share.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/don-t-swallow-your-bulging-blushing-cheeks-display-the-saliva-you/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Moderation: a median with no means, praised by those with no misfortunes, practiced by those with no merits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/moderation-a-median-with-no-means-praised-by-those-with-no/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“The smaller the dinner table, the better the side conversation: you can gossip about the guests without fearing whether you will be overheard. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/the-smaller-the-dinner-table-the-better-the-side-conversation-you-can/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Cannibal: epicures who abstain from alcohol and tobacco. As moral guides, they are underutilized in the police forces of modern societies.  ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/cannibal-epicures-who-abstain-from-alcohol-and-tobacco-as-moral/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“I have never sought to displease; I merely seek pleasure and avoid the pain it causes those who work to produce it. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/i-have-never-sought-to-displease-i-merely-seek-pleasure-and-avoid-the/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“The amount of educational programming on television today is simply desensitizing. The only reason left to go to school is to see gun violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/the-amount-of-educational-programming-on-television-today-is-simply/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“Religious fasting is the best way to cure an anorexic's spirit: in heaven her condition will be normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/religious-fasting-is-the-best-way-to-cure-an-anorexic-s-spirit-in/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“I ran into an old friend on the street and we started up a conversation. Four hours and six bottles of wine later, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/i-ran-into-an-old-friend-on-the-street-and-we-started-up-a/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

> [“I had a dream about you. You suggested to split the profits, so I did. I threw one half in the furnace to power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/i-had-a-dream-about-you-you-suggested-to-split-the-profits-so-i-did-i/)

[Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

[Explore all 138 Bauvard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/)

## More Argument quotes

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/)

[Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/)

[Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

[Browse all 3,479 Argument quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned in logic, widespread in physics, and not used nearly enough in humanism.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bauvard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argument-is-condemned-in-logic/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Argument"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argument-is-condemned-in-logic/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b03/bauvard-3155_quote_attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argu_884318.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Attacking the person instead of the argument is condemned in logic, widespread in physics, and not used…” — Bauvard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bauvard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Attacking the person instead of the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argument-is-condemned-in-logic/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/attacking-the-person-instead-of-the-argument-is-condemned-in-logic/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```