How to win any argument?
First of all, if you can avoid an argument, please do. However, if you must, be sure to read till the end and be prepared.
There is one general fact that will help you win any argument. Don't even start if you are wrong. Of course, even if you are wrong, there are ways to make it go your way. But, your chances are much better if the facts are on your side.
The next piece of advice is to set the boundaries.
Are you arguing about a specific thing? Don't let the other side drag you into a general argument about everything that happened since the mid 80’. These arguments are not productive and they will drain your energy but will get you nowhere. So, if you are arguing about who forgot to take the trash yesterday, stick to the topic, and be sure it was not you in the first place.
On the other hand, if you did forget to take out the trash and you still want to win the argument? Or do you simply love to waste time and stress your loved ones or coworkers? Be sure to drag everything that crosses your mind, and make it as pointless as possible. This way, the person you are arguing with will give up for sure. They will even admit it was their fault you forgot to take out the trash, and they will be glad to go to the dumpster and, just to get out of the whole situation.
Of course, there is more to it, it is not just about having all the facts.
You must stay calm even if you are arguing with a Flat Earther. It is difficult sometimes, but when you master this skill, you will realize why so many people enjoy getting into comment wars on social media.
If you are out of ammo, throw in some questions. This way you will stay in control and the other side will be challenged to struggle to find the answers. If you use logic, you can even skip a question or two, this will make the other side a bit confused and will give you more time to decide where you want the whole thing to go.
The last piece of advice is to listen very carefully. Your opponent will for sure say more than they want to. Because of that, you will have more info to use against them. You will know are arguing because of what they are saying right now, or because you did something 20 years ago that they simply can’t let go of.
In the end, we do advise you again, to try and avoid the situation if possible.
None of us is lacking stress. Even if it does seem like an argument might let off some steam and it does make you feel better about yourself, in the long run, it will damage your relationship with the person you are arguing with. In the end, we don’t remember who had all the facts, and who won, we just remember the bad feeling we had.
