"Ask yourself" is in most cases (if not all) used as a metaphorical way to make you consider carefully if you are in a position of doing something, such as mocking someone who speaks more languages than you and thus is more educated in the exact thing you wanted to mock. How ironic that you don't know that.
Fair enough. But why mock in the first place when you can politely correct them? Mocking someone will only discourage them from learning the language which will keep them from improving and thus eliminate the chances of ever having a meaningful discussion with them. (Provided they're a person with whom such a discussion is even possible)
"But why mock in the first place when you can politely correct them?"
Because it's fun.
"Mocking someone will only discourage them from learning the language which will keep them from improving"
That's not guaranteed, some people respond well to negative criticism.
Discussions are also fun, and that's what you're be preventing with mocking someone, firstly because of the discouragement I mentioned earlier, and secondly because they definitely won't want to speak to you after you mock them. People who respond well to negative criticism are rare, especially in today's world where everybody is offended, so applying a method that works for some on all is ineffective. But sure, if you're willing to exchange a nice discussion for a few seconds of very simple humor, be my guest.
"Discussions are also fun"
Indeed.
"they definitely won't want to speak to you after you mock them."
That's also not guaranteed, some people have a sense of humor.
"if you're willing to exchange a nice discussion for a few seconds of very simple humor, be my guest."
Cool.
I suppose the problem is in a different understanding of the word "mock". Making fun of in a lighthearted manner is totally cool and I would easily laugh with whomever corrected me like that. But the way I see it, the aim of mocking is to humiliate someone, there's little humor but lots of meanness involved. There's a difference between the two, which I thought you'd know since you're a native speaker.
I don't do that. However I do make fun of people who make obvious typos such as "Englsih" in a post about languages. We all have spell check. I had to force my phone not to correct that just now. Proofreading has never hurt anyone.
I'm from Switzerland and we learn in school English, French, Latin and Spanish (and Highgerman but it's near to Swissgerman). And always when I'm demotivated to speak English I think about the poor people who speak English, ONLY English. Because they are to lazy to learn another language and think that they are the best people in the world with the best language so everyone else has to learn English, but you don't want to learn another language! -.-
"No."
Cool, now I can make fun of broken English. Thank you, flying penguin.
Because it's fun.
"Mocking someone will only discourage them from learning the language which will keep them from improving"
That's not guaranteed, some people respond well to negative criticism.
Indeed.
"they definitely won't want to speak to you after you mock them."
That's also not guaranteed, some people have a sense of humor.
"if you're willing to exchange a nice discussion for a few seconds of very simple humor, be my guest."
Cool.