And hardly anyone will object to the fact that nowadays the ability to defend one’s point of view in a dispute is a skill that increases a person’s social prestige, and often contributes to his career.
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This is how the author himself formulates (in a short form, of course) his ten “Golden Rules” of conducting debates.
1. Be prepared. Know exactly what you want to achieve. Explore the facts that can convince your opponent.
Well, it’s hard to disagree with this. To look like a worthy opponent requires both preparation and the collection of facts that confirm the correctness of your position and refute the views of your opponent. Nevertheless, a real polemicist should be, as they say, “always ready” (of course, within reasonable limits) for disputes.
Firstly, debates often arise spontaneously, and you need to be prepared for this.
And secondly, even if they are planned in advance (such as a debate of candidates for deputies or a scientific symposium), the discussion can always take an unexpected turn and move away from the agreed topic.
As for the facts that can convince your opponent, then:
There are always not enough of them;
or there are too many of them, and all of them cannot be brought;
sometimes such facts simply do not exist, because human stubbornness and prejudice are a terrible force that nothing can shake (as in the popular song, “you are my word — I am those two”).
You ask what to do? Of course, improvise!
2. Know when to polemize and when to leave. Before starting an argument, think carefully about whether the time and place are right.
