--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An ad hominem attack against an…" description: "\"An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png" --- # An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an… ![“An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message.” quote by Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png) > “An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message.” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attacking a person instead of their argument shows a lack of substantive points and is a compliment to the argument’s strength. **In simple terms:** Personal attacks reveal weak arguments. Key Takeaway Focus on ideas, not individuals. Themes critical thinking argumentation logic Mood defensive analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - debates - online discussions - political discourse - academic panels Key Concepts rhetoric ad hominem intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - How can you redirect a personal attack to a constructive dialogue? - What strategies help keep discussions idea‑focused? A Different Perspective Such attacks can still influence audiences emotionally despite logical flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) ## Related quotes > [Topical-sketch writing were incredibly rational and well reasoned: don't do a joke if the subject doesn't deserve it. An ad hominem attack on someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/topical-sketch-writing-were-incredibly-rational-and-well-reasoned-don/) [Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/) > [“An ad hominem attack against an intellectual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-intellectual-not-against-an-idea-is/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I'm a fan of robust debate, and I'm not averse to engaging in the odd ad hominem attack myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/i-m-a-fan-of-robust-debate-and-i-m-not-averse-to-engaging-in-the-odd/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) > [Political correctness will die as it lived - kicking and screaming ad hominem abuse as a substitute for arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mcelroy/political-correctness-will-die-as-it-lived-kicking-and-screaming-ad/) [Wendy McElroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mcelroy/) > [If you're trying to get something done, there will always be people who don't want to see you get something done, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/if-you-re-trying-to-get-something-done-there-will-always-be-people/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [Our whole educational system, from the elementary schools to the universities, is increasingly turning out people who have never heard enough conflicting arguments to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/our-whole-educational-system-from-the-elementary-schools-to-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The world I want to live in is a world where everybody is a bit more uncertain about their arguments and is a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/the-world-i-want-to-live-in-is-a-world-where-everybody-is-a-bit-more/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) > [A lack of grace involves much more than critiquing an opponent. It looks a lot more like the ad hominem attacks the president launches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/a-lack-of-grace-involves-much-more-than-critiquing-an-opponent-it/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [“Nevertheless, they boarded The Purdue Victory and sailed out of Boston harbor, provided for against all inclemencies but these they were leaving behind, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gaddis/nevertheless-they-boarded-the-purdue-victory-and-sailed-out-of-boston/) [William Gaddis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gaddis/) > [Reading a brief filled with ad hominem attacks is like listening to my kids fight, except that I have to wait until we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-kethledge/reading-a-brief-filled-with-ad-hominem-attacks-is-like-listening-to/) [Raymond Kethledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-kethledge/) > [We all resort to the ad hominem from time to time: in human affairs, it is difficult to avoid it, and probably not desirable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dalrymple/we-all-resort-to-the-ad-hominem-from-time-to-time-in-human-affairs-it/) [Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/) > [Debates about housing dynamics are often vague, anectdotal, and ad hominem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/debates-about-housing-dynamics-are-often-vague-anectdotal-and-ad/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [“Ad hominem is a notoriously weak logical argument. And is usually used to distract the focus of a discussion - to move it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/ad-hominem-is-a-notoriously-weak-logical-argument-and-is-usually-used/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“Such a principled disregard of ad hominem evidence is a characteristically modern prejudice of professional philosophers. For most Greek and Roman thinkers from Plato…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-miller/such-a-principled-disregard-of-ad-hominem-evidence-is-a/) [James Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-miller/) > [...associational ad hominem attacks remain the left's favorite rhetorical strategy for undermining opponents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/associational-ad-hominem-attacks-remain-the-left-s-favorite/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) ## More by Nassim Nicholas Taleb > [To become a philosopher, start by walking very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-become-a-philosopher-start-by-walking-very-slowly/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Wittgenstein's ruler: Unless you have confidence in the ruler's reliability, if you use a ruler to measure a table you may also be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/wittgenstein-s-ruler-unless-you-have-confidence-in-the-ruler-s/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [In politics we face the choice between warmongering, nation-state loving, big-business agents on one hand; and risk-blind, top-down, epistemic arrogant big servants of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-politics-we-face-the-choice-between-warmongering-nation-state/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My nightmare scenario is that the government saves Citibank once again, as well as the other banks, and business resumes as usual. Then, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/my-nightmare-scenario-is-that-the-government-saves-citibank-once/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“One needs to go out and buy a lottery ticket in order to win. Does it mean that the work involved in the trip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/one-needs-to-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-in-order-to-win-does-it/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/individuals-should-think-about-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-plan-for/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“If you are looking for your misplaced wallet in your living room, in a trial and error mode, you exercise rationality by not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/if-you-are-looking-for-your-misplaced-wallet-in-your-living-room-in-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Most humans manage to squander their free time, as free time makes them dysfunctional, lazy, and unmotivated—the busier they get, the more active they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/most-humans-manage-to-squander-their-free-time-as-free-time-makes/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We learn the most from fools ... yet we pay them back with the worst ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-learn-the-most-from-fools-yet-we-pay-them-back-with-the-worst/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“loss of bone density and degradation of the health of the bones also causes aging, diabetes, and, for males, loss of fertility and sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/loss-of-bone-density-and-degradation-of-the-health-of-the-bones-also/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“It takes a huge investment in introspection to learn that the thirty or more hours spent “studying” the news last month neither had any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/it-takes-a-huge-investment-in-introspection-to-learn-that-the-thirty/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Explore all 635 Nassim Nicholas Taleb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More Ads quotes > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/) Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk > [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/) [Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/) > [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/) [Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/) > [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/) [Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/) > [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/) [Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/) Browse all 856 Ads quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individual-not-against-an-idea-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ads" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individual-not-against-an-idea-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a3/nassim-nicholas-taleb-352_ads_an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individu_3171769.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the…” — Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "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": "Nassim Nicholas Taleb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An ad hominem attack against an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individual-not-against-an-idea-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/an-ad-hominem-attack-against-an-individual-not-against-an-idea-is/#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 } } ] } ```