When you're debating a topic with someone, it's in your best interest to avoid flat-out telling someone they're wrong. All it does is make the other person defensive, causing them to entrench themselves further in their beliefs. Instead, tell them all the ways they're right, then guide them to realising they're wrong on their own.
In our new series "Point Taken", staff writers Patrick Austin and Nick Douglas debate life hacks, etiquette and best practices. In this inaugural episode, we discuss the value of "skimming" prestige TV. Are you packing in more entertainment, or robbing art of its value? Nick thinks it's fine to skim a show now and then. Patrick thinks it's a sin. Watch us face off.
Humans are biased. We remember things that confirm our beliefs more than things that don't. And every day, we're presented with new information and arguments that we have to sort through, especially from politicians.
The US presidential debates are over and the election is close. There were many ways to watch the debate in Australia, and now you can verify both candidates' claims from last night's final debate with these fact-check roundups.
Nobody likes someone who refuses to admit they're wrong. It makes you look childish, stubborn and unwilling to see other perspectives. You can make yourself a lot less hardheaded during a debate if you plan to say you're wrong at least once.
If you want to change someone's mind on the topic, you probably feel like the only thing you really need is evidence. However, to really get through to someone, you need equal parts empathy and persistence in that equation.
When you're defending your position, your natural inclination is probably to start with the arguments that make the most sense to you. However, if you want to persuade someone to your side, it can help to begin with how they see things.
Arguments aren't won with information; they're resolved with rhetoric, the art of persuasion. In Thank You For Arguing, author Jay Heinrichs reveals the secrets to mastering rhetoric, identifying logical fallacies, getting what you want through persuasion and keeping arguments from turning into nasty fights.
There's nothing wrong with a healthy debate, but a disagreement can easily turn into an ugly argument. To keep this from happening when you're debating with someone, and to get them on your side, use hypotheticals.
