Good evening, friends, let me tell you some Secrets on how to argue like (and with) assholes. I’m writing this because I keep running into a particular asshole, and I need to
stop engaging with them, and so this is an instruction sheet for myself as well as you guys.
First, try to avoid assholes; they don’t deserve your time and energy. But, if an Argument is unavoidable, here are a few tips on how to emerge unscathed.
Let go of the idea that you’re going to win.
You’re not gonna win. Nobody wins in an argument with an asshole. But, on the other hand, you can
make them lose. You can deprive them of their entertainment and their triumph.
How???
Do not present your side of this debate.
This is so counter-intuitive for most of us who believe in things like, oh, science, or
real facts, or the idea that real facts can be determined by science. Here’s a cool terrible thing about humans:
certainty has nothing to do with facts. And when people are
certain, that is when they become assholes.
When someone’s only goal is to win an argument, any real evidence or facts you give them is just ammunition for them to turn against you.
You will not convince them. So what should you be doing?
Destroy their arguments.
This is a thing of joy, because it’s what assholes are used to doing. They are, at heart, morons who don’t know how to construct, only how to destroy.
I used to be super emotional about arguments like this. I couldn’t think of anything to say while the other person ranted on about their horrifying bigotry. Now I’m a lawyer, and I’ve learned to weaponize my essentially nitpicky nature. For money.
So here are some easy tactics you can remember and deploy:
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Make them define the words they use.Nitpick the definitions.
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Turn questions back on them.If they ask you “why do you believe x”, ask them why they believe y. If they pull some “I asked first” shit, ask them why they’re afraid to defend their beliefs.
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Call them emotional. If possible, pick out specific emotions. This is especially devastating when you’re debating a man, as he will get more emotional as a result.
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“Why is that funny? I don’t get it.”Making people explain mean jokes can be a delight; they just wilt the more you question them about the underlying assumptions.
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Laugh at any especially dumb shit.Like they use some slogan or catchphrase that’s obviously untrue, due to science, or essentially ridiculous, like “we’ve made America great again,” and you just blurt out laughing. If they get mad, tell them – oh, so sorry, I’ll shut up, I’m giving you the floor to talk about your beliefs. I’m respecting you.
This is a goddamn power move. It gives you the high ground, and also the implied control over the situation. The floor belongs to
you, but you are
yielding it to someone because you
can.
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If they make an awkward exit, let them.Especially if they call the discussion “political.” It means they’re feeling attacked. Graciously allow them to retreat with their tail between their legs. If they storm off, allow them to do that too. Congratulations; you’ve ended the argument and you don’t have to deal with it anymore.
Basically:
hand the asshole a shovel, and let ‘em dig.Relieve yourself of the burden to convince them they are wrong, and just sour their fun instead.
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Additionally, these are the tactics that assholes use, consciously or subconsciously, all the time. Recognize them. Once you know what they are, you can become immune to the intimidation and belittling tactics.
Good luck.
Good to know.
added benefit, doing this a few times makes it way easier to recognize when people are just doing this to you (which is a lot because because this is how assholes argue and there are a lot of assholes)
and then you get to be like, oh, this isn’t an argument, doing these things instead of having a good faith conversation is just this asshole’s hobby and it stops having the same kind of effect on you.
Once you get used to it, you just do this back at assholes who are doing this, and because you know the behavior pattern and they usually aren’t self aware enough to understand that this is what they are doing, they don’t catch you at it.
Then they pour a lot of energy into it but you don’t even really have to pay attention. Right? Like you can just do your own thing barely paying attention while they pitch their whole wind up, notice they said the word “regulate” and make them define it, reverse a couple questions, wait for them to get wound up about it and tell them they’re being too emotional..and the whole thing becomes this
