This statement sounds in the spirit of the famous biblical saying that there is “a time to scatter stones, and a time to collect stones,” and it is difficult to disagree with it.
Advertisement
However, there are cases when circumstances, regardless of our desire and assessment of the situation, do not leave a choice, and we have to act not according to our will, but what is called “by the will of the pike” — to polemize when it would not be worth doing, and leave when we want to continue the dispute.
3. What to say and how to say it. Take the time to think about how to present your arguments. Their persuasiveness will be influenced by body language, word choice, and manner of speech.
The charisma of the speaker, his confidence in his rightness, real or imaginary, the emotions he radiates are almost more important in the art of argument than the arguments and facts presented. The speaker should be well aware of what people expect from him and what can have the right effect on them.
Socrates:— In order for a speech to come out good, beautiful, shouldn’t the speaker’s mind comprehend the truth of what he is going to talk about?
Phaedrus: — About this, dear Socrates, I have heard this: for someone who intends to become an orator, there is no need to understand what is really fair, it is enough to know what seems fair to the majority who will judge. The same applies to what is really good and beautiful — it is enough to know what appears to be such. That’s how you can convince, not with the help of the truth.
Mastering the techniques of public speaking is the shortest and most effective way to become a master of debate.
4. Listen and listen. Listen carefully to what your opponent is saying. Watch his body language and think about the meaning behind his words.
Of course, it is necessary to listen to the opponent. But the main goal is not so much to try to understand him as to find weak points in his argument. Any mistake he makes, including the slightest reservations (you can recall the notorious “Freudian reservation” — and indeed it often happens), pours water on your mill.
Machiavelli advises the prince to take advantage of every minute of his neighbor’s weakness to attack him, because otherwise the same neighbor can take advantage of his momentary weakness… The same way should be done in a dispute.(Schopenhauer. Eristics, or the Art of winning arguments)
Sometimes, when it comes to social or political matters, listening to the interlocutor may seem like a waste of time, since most people, even without realizing it themselves, belong to one or another party (in the broad sense of the term), and it is known in advance what they will say.
