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A solid argument is not always enough for winning debates. There are still some golden rules to stick to if you want to impress your opponents and lead the heated negotiations till the victorious end. Professors in Stanford University have come up with a few strategies for assembling an unbeatable character for winning any debates.
How to Beat Your Opponents and Win Debates
Help Your Collocutor to Find an Answer
The major problem of a new debate participant is overestimating his/her own abilities. After coming with an argument, that the one thinks is quite reasonable and solid, that person even cannot consider that the argument can be already exhausted and doubtful. The collocutor can be so unaffected to these arguments that all the preparations can turn out to be in vain. For your opponent to be able to enter into polemics with you, try giving the arguments your personal shade of morality.
As Robb Willer, the Stanford professor of Sociology and Psychology says that mentioning moral values of a certain subject will provoke your partner to answer from his/her point of view, thus expanding an argument into a real topic for discussion. Your benefit here is unimaginable – while your opponent will be providing unprepared counterarguments, you have your supportive statements prepared in advance. Even though if it looks like giving your opponents some food for discussion, it is you who have dinner and the main meal on this banquet is you rivals, completely unaware of what is going on.
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Numerous experiments and real experiences have proven that this strategy works at its best most of the times regardless of the topic you choose to discuss.
Listen to Your Collocutor to Avoid Prejudice
Changing your collocutor’s mind concerning the problem is not an easy task, regardless of what arguments you provide. Even though through all the attempts to convince your rival, you finally managed to direct him/her into the necessary way, the prejudice of your obstructiveness will remain with the collocutor at least till the end of debates. Moreover, telling your partner directly that his/her statements are wrong will deteriorate the situation even more.
The solution to this issue has recently been published in The Science journal. Experts suggest speaking with the collocutor peacefully and what is more, listen to his/her arguments without interrupting straightaway. Three minutes of patient listening can ensure you warm perception for the next few months.
It works really simple – by giving your partner an opportunity to express him/herself lets all his/her stress and accumulated thoughts out, thus leaving him/her in a cool state and ready for discussion. There is no need to load the collocutor with dozens of your opinions. Simply ask him/her a question that can have a broad answer and allow him/her to speak out. What is interesting is that this method does not work well in all the cases. When speaking about personal information it turns out to be more effective than discussing general information. Fortunately, that is not a bad idea to listen to your partner anyway as showing your attention is a great act of respect.
