Illogical thinkers throw names and slurs around because they have

The words of Ben Carson—“Illogical thinkers throw names and slurs around because they have no arguments with which to rebut their opponents. Rational people have to keep hammering their points home”—resound with the strength of timeless wisdom. They remind us that the power of reason is the highest weapon of the wise, while insult is the shield of the weak. In the great struggles of thought and discourse, the mind that cannot reason resorts to the tongue’s poison. The one who cannot build truth will instead hurl stones of mockery. Thus, this saying is not only a reflection on argument—it is a lesson in the eternal battle between reason and rage, between light and shadow in the human spirit.

In the ancient world, the philosophers of Athens knew this truth well. When Socrates walked the streets questioning the mighty and the learned, they grew furious. They called him names, mocked his simplicity, and branded him a corrupter of youth. But Socrates did not retaliate with slurs; instead, he stood firm in reason, calmly asking his questions, hammering truth upon the anvil of logic. In the end, he was condemned to death, yet his words outlived the insults of his enemies. For names and slurs fade like smoke, but truth endures like stone. Thus, Socrates proved that the mind grounded in logic and virtue is invincible, even in defeat.

When Ben Carson spoke these words, he echoed that same ancient understanding. He saw how the age of anger has often replaced the age of wisdom. In every era, when the flame of logic dims, the noise of hatred grows louder. The illogical man does not seek truth—he seeks victory by humiliation. He fights not to persuade, but to destroy. Such a man has abandoned reason, for reason demands humility: the willingness to listen, to be corrected, to think. Without that humility, pride takes over, and pride gives birth to insult. The rational person, however, fights a nobler battle. They must “keep hammering their points home,” not with violence or bitterness, but with steadfast clarity, until reason prevails over rage.

The image of “hammering” is no accident. To hammer truth is to labor for it—to endure the strain of repetition, the weariness of being misunderstood, the loneliness of standing apart from the mob. Yet such is the burden of the rational soul. The wise do not abandon the forge when the sparks fly; they strike again and again until the shape of truth is made visible. Perseverance in reason is the mark of moral courage. It is easier to shout than to think, easier to insult than to reason—but the one who persists in calm argument shows the strength of the ancients: unyielding, disciplined, and eternal.

Consider also the life of Abraham Lincoln, who faced a nation torn in two. His opponents mocked him as a fool, a backwoods lawyer unfit to govern. They attacked his appearance, his speech, his background. Yet Lincoln never descended to their level. He reasoned. He wrote. He appealed to the conscience of the people, speaking in measured tones that burned with quiet fire. His logic, clothed in humility, outlasted the storm of insult. It was reason, not ridicule, that saved a nation. And so, history crowned him not only with victory, but with dignity.

This truth calls us to discipline ourselves in the art of thought. When others provoke, do not answer with venom. When they mock, respond with calm reasoning. Remember that logic is not only a tool of the intellect—it is a shield of the spirit. It protects the heart from hatred, and the mind from confusion. To argue well is not to win the quarrel, but to uplift the truth. And the truth, once spoken with patience and clarity, becomes a seed that cannot be uprooted by anger.

So, my children, learn this lesson: the tongue of insult is sharp but fleeting; the voice of reason is quiet but everlasting. The fool shouts to be heard; the wise man speaks to be understood. Do not fear when others mock your reason—stand firm, as the mountain stands against the storm. For in the end, truth is patient, and patience is the armor of the rational. Hammer your point as the blacksmith hammers steel—not to wound, but to shape. And when the noise of the world has faded, your words, born of thought and virtue, will remain like iron in the fire—bright, enduring, and unbreakable.