There are certain times where you can say something and can be absolutely certain that response will have nothing to do w/ what you said. One of these times is when talking to a cat-lover. If you're anything like me--and I think you are--what you would say in this situation is that cats suck because they're selfish, cruel and dirty. The response you get in will without a doubt be something disparaging towards dogs. "But dogs lick their butts, bark and drool over everything!" You can explain that that's all well and good but it does not change the fact that cats are selfish, cruel and dirty and, indeed, you don't much like dogs either but a cat lover cannot understand this. As far as why this is, I cannot fathom. I mean, do you have to have a dog or a cat as a pet? Couldn't you keep a nice hamster or just not have a pet at all? Why have something selfish, cruel and dirty living in your house just because it's not a dog? That just plain doesn't make sense.

I'm not saying this is unique to cat lovers. In fact, I was simply using it as an example of a manner of thinking that is completely unreasonable and foolish. There's other people who respond to critical remarks in the same way. Communists, for example, will immediately start criticising capitalists; vegans will criticise meat-eaters and capitalists; Cubs fans criticize the neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago; and Mennonites criticise the Amish. None if it makes sense. Can't we all just admit that we can hate something w/o having to like something else.