This is my first article to actually be posted anywhere other than Facebook. I’ve never actually added any of my writings to a blog or submitted them anywhere for publishing. To pop my cherry, I figured a good topic would be a piece on how to manage reasonable debate.
I thoroughly enjoy debate – be it in person or on social media. Well, let me make a correction. I enjoy intelligent debate. What I mean by this is that I enjoy being able to substantiate my argument with facts and statistics while my “opponent” does the same, without things resorting into the “you’re a doodoo head!” slump.
Sadly, that slump isn’t uncommon. All too often I see (or experience) some jerk that can’t maintain the wherewithal to keep a civil conversation running. As most people do, I hold the position that once an individual resorts to name calling or threats, they’ve lost the argument. They no longer have a valid argument, so they have resorted to attempting to discredit the opponent through character assassination.
Don’t get me wrong… I really don’t care if someone calls me any sort of nasty name. It honestly doesn’t bother me. It’s just disappointing when that happens because it’s usually too fast and it doesn’t feel like the argument should have been done. I even get that from family members, which is weird (meh, maybe not).
I generally end a verbal argument pretty quickly when it reaches this point. No reason for fists to start flying because we disagree on whatever the topic may be. Being punched in the face sucks. On social media, though, I’ll keep it running a bit longer. There are two reasons for this: 1) to troll the jackass and 2) because there are some out there that have remained silent who are taking in the points made and perhaps even gaining a perspective they previously didn’t have. But it’s mostly for the trolling.
Anyhow, more to the point. I’m writing to help guide some of those who may struggle to maintain a pleasant atmosphere even when a debate becomes heated.
One of the tricks I use is to open the conversation on a subject by establishing common ground. If common ground cannot be met, no parties in the argument will concede any points at all and it’s frivolous; even when a point can be proven statistically. This is less applicable on social media since that medium is more often just used to get everyone’s opinions out there.
Next, don’t name call. No, not even indirectly. Stop it. Implying someone is unintelligent or otherwise just because they don’t agree with you is worse than outright calling them dumb (you freakin’ passive, coward bitch). Seriously. Instead… Stick to the argument. Stay on target. Convey your points clearly. The more clear, the better.
Maintain your position with verifiable facts. Rhetoric and anecdotes don’t honestly contribute to proving any point. Your opinion, unless the argument is strictly about opinion, doesn’t matter. Your feelings don’t matter. Your friends cousin’s experience that one time years ago doesn’t matter. Provide your information and back it up with sources.
Finally, in all cases of logic, follow Occam’s Razor. If your position isn’t the simplest solution on a logical path… You’re probably wrong and it’s time to rethink your stance. Review your “if, then’s” and make sure there aren’t any big jumps needed in order to arrive at the conclusion. Test the logic by applying the used logic to another, similar-but-different scenario and be sure that it is still applicable. If not, you have yourself a logic fallacy and it should be back to the drawing board.
I hope the information helps. It has for me.
Mike H