How To Argue

Mood: Content
Music: Reel Big Fish

Occasionally when I write something pretty controversial (like today) and pull it off well, I get questions like "How do you know how to argue? How'd you learn? Did you take any writing/debate classes? etc."

Well, the short answer is "No." I've never taken a debate class and the only english classes I've taken since being here were freshmen english and two fiction writing classes; hardly conducive to effective argumentation.

I never really thought about how I learned to argue, honestly. It just kinda came naturally I guess. But there are some tips and tricks that I've picked up in my time, and I suppose that I don't mind sharing them. But remember, this is how I approach my columns, and generally how I approach public speaking and debate. These ideas aren't necessarily how one might approach a thesis or research paper, but some of the ideas could be helpful if tempered some.

Anyway, bearing these things in mind, I present, in association with Jon Fish Publications (shameless plug!), a work in process entitled:

Tips and Tricks: An Incomplete Guide to Argumentation and Debate
by Jon Fish

#1 You Are Always Right!
This one seems obvious, but you'd be amazed how difficult it is for people to internalize this rule, and I can't stress it enough.

To argue well, you must know that you are right without question. It's a requirement.

Now that doesn't mean you can simply form an opinion and just go from there bullheadedly without looking at other information. You MUST be well-informed. This means knowing your side IN ADDITION to your opponents' views. In fact, you should probably know your opponents' side better than your own so you know how to attack and systematically subvert their arguments. Plus, there's also the chance that they could end up being right, at least to a point, and you may need to augment your belief to effectively stand up to their assaults.

The golden rule to keep in mind is that when the emperor looks naked, the emperor IS naked. He isn't wearing invisible clothes. So don't contradict fact or insurmaountable evidence no matter how much you believe something to the contrary, because you'll just end up looking stupid in the end.

#2 You are talking to people
This is another pretty easy one, but one I had to learn for myself in the beginning. When trying to reach an audience (as opposed to, say, impressing a professor), you want them to be interested, intrigued, or so mad that they can't stop reading.

Since you are trying to reach people, talk to them like people. If they wanted to read a research paper, they'd spend their day in the library. Humanize your arguments and tone so that people can become endeared to them. A statement could be powerful and profound, but if you present them like the tax code then nobody's gonna understand, much less care.

Talk in a conversational style. Use human words like "gonna," "ya," etc. And don't be afraid to use contractions. All people do, and it sounds like a person is talking to them in their mind's voice when they read it. It's all part of the psychology of learning.

But don't be afraid to use "big" words or complex ideas. You don't have to dumb down your argument to make it human. In fact, using complex ideas and terminology while speaking to your audience like a normal person adds pathos to your argument and gives it credibility.

#3 Humor!
Nothing breaks the ice like a good joke. This goes right along with humanizing your arguments. People make positive emotional connections when they laugh, even if they disagree with something (more psychology of learning), and thus are more willing to listen.

Also, if you know there's going to be defiant opposition, light insult humor at that group helps pull moderates and undecided opinions to your side with a good laugh, and it also leads into my next point...

#4 Hipocrisy and Omissions
An insult is usually attributed to either an omission or a hipocrisy, the former being the lesser offense in an arguement, but you can use both of these to your advantage.

First, in always being right, make sure that you actually ARE always right, at least inasmuch as your argument extends. If you aren't, scale back the claim some or choose your wording carefully to elucidate a similar idea.

Do not, under ANY circumstances, be hipocritical!

This is the death blow to any argument. Likewise, while going over your opponents' arguments, look for hipocrisies they may have missed and use them to your advantage. You can use a hipocrisy to refute anything else they may say on an issue. It's always fun to see someone when their argument comes crashing down around them because of a fatal oversight.

#5 Practice!
What can I say? This is the best way to improve. I go back and read some of my columns from my first semester with The Beacon and cringe. But having written weekly for two years and getting praise and criticism on a regular basis has vastly improved my skill. Nowadays I'm confident that my message is there and that my argument is usually air-tight. Even though people can disagree and their arguments can be just as sound as my own, its often very difficult to argue with my logic simply because I've practiced so much. So practice, practice, practice!


There's way more to say I'm sure, but I've got work to do. However, (shameless plug time again) if you would like help on argumentation and debate, help writing and developing your writing skills, or just proofreading of your class papers and such, feel free to contact me at Jon Fish Publications and we'll see what we can do to help.

Anyway, that's about all this week, friends.

~Peace out, yo