Applying that logic would dictate that it's useless to help the poor because most people don't actually care enough to contribute. Being able to both recognize bad arguments and apply good ones is a sorely needed life skill.
Whether or not your opponent listens after that is not really your business beyond making the attempt, but you don't get to complain about an issue you never even put the energy into solving. And, generally speaking, most people will only listen when you listen.
Nobody in the real world cares about this though. The only context in which this pyramid has has any veracity is in the extremely rare case where you have a group of people who are interested in useful outcome.
Generally, people argue for the appearance of having won, so will resort to any and all measures regardless of their argumentative quality. In fact, the lower below the belt you can go, the more you will resonate with the layman.
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