Eric Scheie with a valuable vocabulary lesson:

Glenn Reynolds dislikes the use of “feel” as a synonym for “think.”

I feel the same way. Which is to say that I don’t like it either. Likes and dislikes are not a thinking thing; they are a feeling thing. In that previous post, I mentioned homosexuals who feel that they were “born that way” and who therefore (they feel) “have no choice.”

[...]One way this muddying of the distinction between thought and feeling plays itself out in our present-day world is with the increasing tendency to prohibit anything — including the expression of logical thoughts — which are alleged to cause hurt feelings. A recent example is the brouhaha over “Hitler wine” — as opposed to “Stalin Wine.” (Via Howard Stern.) There is no reason in logic why a bottle of wine with Stalin on the label should not be just as offensive as the same bottle with Hitler. Yet the former would be allowed to be sold on ebay — but not the latter. It’s all about feelings. Hitler on a wine bottle evokes stronger feelings than does Stalin.

Feelings brought Hitler into power, too.

The other word that I think stymies reasonable discussion is “believe.” I don’t have Cher to blame for that, no, but when I encounter someone whose statements start with “I believe The Children™ are our future,” I really find no fulcrum on which the lever of discussion may turn. [Still blogging hungry, jay? --- Ed. Shuddup!!! --- Jay.]

On a lighter note, dear friends, if you read my blog on a slghtly regular basis, one of my favorite synonyms for think is suppose. I suppose this, and suppose that. I suppose I do that because think can be so… boring! Think, think, think. Not that everything I think is suppository (yes, I use the term as a jest), but I usually deal in suppositions when forming my opinions.

Not to nitpick, Eric, but revenge being a dish best served cold was cooked by the Chinese. Stalin, I think, knew about this and quoted them anyway.