Using Wife Beating Query to explain Sophia's Choice? WTF?

[joela]

Can someone explain this to me? I've never heard the query, "do you beat your wife?" used in this context:

From rpgnet: 'Have you stopped beating your wife? answer yes or no.' is the common example of question which you can not answer positively. If you say yes then you have in the past been a wife beater, If you say no then you are a wife beater. Either way you answer the question you run into trouble. There is no way to answer the question if you have never beaten your wife.

Can someone explain how such a heinous question -- and justification -- came to be? I didn't think I was naive or inexperienced, but I've never encountered proving a no-win situation used in such a manner.

[Wicht]

joela wrote:

Can someone explain this to me? I've never heard the query, "do you beat your wife?" used in this context:

From rpgnet: 'Have you stopped beating your wife? answer yes or no.' is the common example of question which you can not answer positively. If you say yes then you have in the past been a wife beater, If you say no then you are a wife beater. Either way you answer the question you run into trouble. There is no way to answer the question if you have never beaten your wife.

Can someone explain how such a heinous question -- and justification -- came to be? I didn't think I was naive or inexperienced, but I've never encountered proving a no-win situation used in such a manner.

Its a question normally used to illustrate certain questions are simply bad questions or that simple "yes/no" questions are rarely as good as more open ended questions. I've heard that question bandied about in different arguments most of my life all over the US, so its certainly not anything new.

[seekerofshadowlight]

yeah its an old one, and with the style of posts I normally run into on RPGnet I am not surprised ya encountered it there.

[joela]

Wicht wrote:

joela wrote:

Can someone explain this to me? I've never heard the query, "do you beat your wife?" used in this context:

From rpgnet: 'Have you stopped beating your wife? answer yes or no.' is the common example of question which you can not answer positively. If you say yes then you have in the past been a wife beater, If you say no then you are a wife beater. Either way you answer the question you run into trouble. There is no way to answer the question if you have never beaten your wife.

Can someone explain how such a heinous question -- and justification -- came to be? I didn't think I was naive or inexperienced, but I've never encountered proving a no-win situation used in such a manner.

Its a question normally used to illustrate certain questions are simply bad questions. I've heard that question bandied about in different arguments most of my life all over the US, so its certainly not anything new.

Well, it's new to me. Wow. Thanks!

[Arazyr]

Mu

[joela]

seekerofshadowlight wrote:

yeah its an old one, and with the style of posts I normally run into on RPGnet I am not surprised ya encountered it there.

Yah, seekerofshadowlight, it's absolutely new to me. And you're right: it's surprising I didn't encounter it at rpg.net sooner. Just...lucky?...I guess?

[joela]

Arazyr wrote:

Mu

+1! Thanks!

[Mairkurion {tm}]

I think it has its origin in Law as an unfair question meant to entrap.

[The Crimson Jester, Rogue Lord]

Some variant has been used for years. You should also watch out for those who constantly claim this is being used when it is in fact not.