I genuinely do not understand this behaviour or why it is so commonplace. Like, just ignoring people calling you out doesn’t mean they have “no argument” it’s like failure to understand object permanence but for discussion, if they plug their ears and go “lalalalala” then there are no arguments against their position because they personally refuse to listen.

I could understand someone doing this to protect their own ego maybe, but to then try and act like they’re the “clever intellectual” who no one can possibly defeat in a battle of wits by just ignoring any arguments against their position, presumably thinking it makes them look smart or something, but it’s genuinely the dumbest behaviour I can think of. Wilful ignorance makes you look stupider than anything else, but so many people do it, and brag about it even, thinking refusing to listen or learn makes them smart or something.