What about

Techniques > Resisting persuasion > What about

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Method

'What about the Spanish?' What indeed. Extend the debate by bringing all sorts of other topics and trivialities. Before long, you'll have them tied up in knots as they try to cover all of your ever-extending set of bases.

Example

What about Jennifer? Have you not considered how she might react?

Have you thought about the phasing effects? Or the reactive compliance?

So what if it starts raining at high temperature when it's been turned off twice?

Discussion

Bringing in additional factors makes the subject more and more complex and hence more difficult to resolve.

Adding problems is particularly effective when the other person likes solving problems, as it will draw them into the problem rather than trying to persuade you. If they hate problems, then they may just give up and go away.