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The Art of Being Right
Techniques
> General persuasion > The Art of Being Right
Description |
Example | Discussion | See also
Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote an essay called 'The Art of
Controversy' that was published (in English, in 1896) after his death. It was
later re-published with the more catchy title of 'The Art of Being Right'.
Schopenhauer's stratagems are repeated and discussed here.
In the pages below, the 'description' and 'example' are Schopenhauer's. The
'discussion' is mine.
- The Extension
- The Homonymy
- Generalize Specific Statements
- Conceal Your Game
- False Proposition
- Postulate What Has To Be Proved
- Yield Admissions Through Questions
- Make Your Opponent Angry
- Questions in Detouring Order
- Take Advantage of The Nay-Sayer
- Generalize Admissions of
Specific Cases
- Choose Metaphors That Support
Your Proposition
- Agree to Reject the
Counter-Proposition
- Claim Victory Despite Defeat
- Use Seemingly Absurd Propositions
- Arguments Ad Hominem
- Defense Through Subtle Distinction
- Interrupt, Break, Divert the Dispute
- Generalize the Matter, Then Argue
Against it
- Draw Conclusions Yourself
- Meet him With a Counter-Argument as Bad as His
- Petitio Principii
- Make Him Exaggerate his Statement
- State a False Syllogism
- Find One Instance to The Contrary
- Turn The Tables
- Anger Indicates a Weak Point
- Persuade the Audience, Not The Opponent
- Diversion
- Appeal to Authority Rather Than Reason
- This is Beyond Me
- Put His Thesis Into Some Odious Category
- It Applies in Theory, But Not in Practice
- Don't Let Him Off The Hook
- Will is More Effective Than Insight
- Bewilder Your Opponent by Mere Bombast
- A Faulty Proof Refutes His Whole Position
- Become Personal, Insulting, Rude
It is notable that many of Schopenhauer's methods are deceptive and the goal
is to gain agreement and acceptance, rather than to really convince. Such methods may win an argument but they may also lose you friends and
create the effects
of betrayal, so they should be treated with care.
If other people use these methods with you, the simplest approach is to
sidestep -- just refuse to react, ignoring their devices. It can be a powerful
method to 'name the game', describing what they are doing and saying you are not
going to be taken in by this.
See also
Argument
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