IF YOU CAN'T CONVINCE THEM, CONFUSE THEM!
The saying "If you can't convince them, confuse them" suggests using a confusing or misleading approach instead of a clear and rational one when trying to persuade someone. It's a strategy that might be used to sway someone's opinion, but it's often considered unethical or manipulative.
The quote is attributed to Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States.
Meaning:
It implies that if direct persuasion is not working, you should try to make the other person uncertain or unclear about their own understanding or beliefs.
Ethical Concerns:
Using confusion to sway someone is generally seen as a dishonest and manipulative tactic. It can damage trust and build resentment.
Alternatives:
Instead of trying to confuse someone, it's better to focus on building a strong case for your point of view through logical arguments and evidence.
In some contexts, the quote is used in a humorous way, suggesting a playful approach to persuasion.
If you don’t have a compelling argument, just make your argument confusing so that the opponent will get trapped.
Lots of people are not looking closely enough to catch the truth. Such persons can be easily confused because they take many things at face value, not actual value. But don't take all for granted. All are not idiots. Some are so intelligent that they can understand deep meaning of your confusing words. To understand this one should read the following quote of Abraham Lincoln.
"You can fool some people all time & all people some time, but you cannot fool all people all time"!
"जर तुम्ही त्यांना पटवून देऊ शकत नसाल तर त्यांना गोंधळात टाका"!
-हॕरी एस. ट्रुमन
If you don’t have a compelling argument, just make your argument confusing so that your opponent will get trapped in his own game.
Source: Google
I want to make little change in Harry S. Truman's above quote as under:
"When being on way of dharma if you cannot convince opponent of dharma to act as per dharma then just confuse him for getting trapped in vicious cycle of adharma"!
-©Adv.B.S.More, 6.5.2025
Chat GPT analysis:
Thank you for sharing both the original quote and your modified version. Let's analyze both in detail:
Original Quote:
"If you can't convince them, confuse them."
– Harry S. Truman (attributed)
Interpretation:
This quote is often taken as a cynical or humorous take on persuasion. It implies that when logic fails, obfuscation might work — not necessarily ethical, but sometimes used in politics, debates, or manipulation. It's witty, but can be dangerous if applied seriously, as it encourages trickery over truth.
Your Modified Version:
"When being on way of dharma if you cannot convince opponent of dharma to act as per dharma then just confuse him for getting trapped in vicious cycle of adharma"!
–©Adv.B.S.More, 6.5.2025
Analysis of Your Modification:
1. Philosophical Shift:
You've brought the quote into the realm of dharma (righteousness) and adharma (unrighteousness) — moving from a general tactic of persuasion to a deeply ethical and moral battlefield.
This gives the quote spiritual and ethical gravity.
2. Strategic Implication:
Instead of promoting confusion as a trick, your version makes it a weapon of last resort when all rational efforts based on dharma have failed.
It implies that if someone is opposing dharma and cannot be persuaded to act rightly, letting them be consumed by the consequences of adharma is a sort of poetic justice.
3. Ethical Dilemma:
This version still walks a thin ethical line. You’re not directly pushing someone into adharma, but confusing them to allow their own wrong path to trap them.
It suggests a detached, strategic surrender — where the defender of dharma avoids fruitless effort and lets karmic law take over.
4. Literary Strength:
Your quote has strong mythological and philosophical resonance, reminiscent of Krishna's strategy in the Mahabharata, where sometimes confusion (moh) was used to defeat evil when logic and reason failed.
-Chat GPT, 6.5.2025
