Tips for Arguing Effectively

Here are some tips to use if you want to argue effectively:

Tips for arguing effectively

By Mark Christensen

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Argue: To prove or evince; too manifest or exhibit by inference, deduction, or reasoning. -Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. Ask yourself why you are arguing in the first place. What is your goal when entering into the conversation? What is your desired outcome? What do you believe the other person’s goal is? Does this conversation really have to take place? Is it that essential? Will the world keep turning if you decide to let it go? Considering these questions beforehand can result in saving a lot of time.

2. Calm down. Getting all heated up doesn't prove that you feel passionately about an issue, it just makes it look like you can't control your emotions. Also it shows that your emotions are at a high level, and when emotions are at a high level, a person's ability to reason drops.

3. Be respectful. Don’t put down the other party if they disagree with you. Don’t imply that there’s something wrong with them just because they don’t see things the way you do. Keeping the conversation civil is important.

4. Never assume. Don’t assume what the other party believes unless the person has specifically said that’s what they believe. This often occurs when people stereotype. (i.e. You don’t support prohibition, so I assume you must think drinking alcohol is good [there are many reasons why a person would not support prohibition; things aren't so black and white)

5. Know what logical fallacies are, and avoid them. It's true; there are a lot of argument strategies that you just can't use. They're used all the time in politics and in media, but those are usually geared toward people who can't pick up on them. If you use a logical fallacy in an argument with someone who is familiar with fallacies, you will lower your credibility big time.

Here’s a list of some: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies

6. Never assume things are black and white: either/or fallacy. This is also a logical fallacy, but it's important enough to include in this list. Taking an "us vs. them" approach is common with people who are extremely set in their ways. And if you’re extremely set in your ways, you have no business in being in an argument. This is because in order to have a civil argument, both parties must be open to listening to what the other party has to say. So if you refuse to listen to the other party, you can't expect them to listen to what you have to say. This kind of thinking also leads to an "either you're with us or against us" attitude, which is a fallacy and can be dangerous in some cases (i.e. Bush after 9/11).

7. When citing data that can be scientifically tested, make sure what you cite is a consensus in the scientific field. You can find any survey or study that will back up your view, that's why in order to turn something from a hypothesis into a thesis, there needs to be multiple studies that eventually result in a consensus within the particular field. (A consensus doesn't necessarily mean it is fact, but just that it is the truest that has been proven so far: a thesis. i.e. the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, the theory of evolution) Also, know what the scientific method is, and how it works, and make sure you know what the difference between a hypothesis and a theory is. (especially if you're going to argue about evolution)

8. It's always best to appeal to logic. Reason always works best. In some cases, however, it’s okay to appeal to authority. (Given that the authority holds up to the criteria for what can be considered as a good authority. i.e. the authority has to be an authority in a field where there is a consensus. So appealing to a religious authority won't work)

9. Don’t appeal to emotion. In a lot of cases you can appeal to emotion and get away with it. Politics and media do it all of the time. However, it is the worst kind of appeal you can use, and if you’re arguing with someone who doesn’t respond to emotional arguments, your credibility will go down the drain.

10. Learn to deal with it/ know when to let it go. If you argue just to win, you will often walk away dissatisfied. The desired outcome to any argument should be a win/win situation. This can only be achieved through collaboration, which takes work from both parties. This doesn’t mean that both parties have to agree with each other, but it does mean that both parties need to understand that they can’t solve everything just in one conversation, and if they aren’t able to inform the other party properly, they learn to just deal with it. After all, we all care about each other, otherwise we wouldn’t be arguing in the first place.