If you feel you haven’t presented your argument properly, would you go back to discuss it with that person?
It depends if it was a discussion or an argument.
A discussion is a search for a common truth/understanding. Both parties need to be willing to adjust their views if the other person has a good point.
An argument is generally when you know you are right. Often it’s intended for the attention of those watching/listening. You’re not trying to convince the other person, but those who would otherwise listen to them.
Arguments with only the other person present are quite pointless.
As for your question. If it were a discussion, I would go back to them to see what they make of the evidence.
If it’s an argument, let it lie, unless they start spouting it to others in your presence. Then it’s down to you to counter them or not.
FYI, back in my uni days, a friend and I would clear the house with our “heated arguments” (atheist Vs devout Christian). When the rest of the house commented on this, we just both looked at each other in confusion. We had both been discussing and learning from each other. It might have gotten loud, but it never turned into an argument!
No. I’m mostly a person who cares about saying anything at all, than wasting my time trying to convince people about my arguments. You take it or leave it. If I’m right, cool. If I’m wrong, then whatever. But, a lot of the time, people are fighting harder to win arguments than simply registering both facts and lies.
And it’s those kinds of arguments, I’ve no time for.
I don’t really argue much any more. Or debate tbh.
If I’m confident I’m correct about a subject, it’s way less hassle to just shrug and say “okay” and let it go. If I’m right, it’ll prove out over time, and I won’t feel like a jackass for trying to prove I’m right via arguing. If I’m not, then that will too, and I won’t feel like a jackass for trying to convince someone of something via arguing.
Mind you, that all assumes that “argument” implies an attempt to change someone’s mind about something while they try to change yours, whether the exchange is heated or not. Some people don’t use the word like that, and mean more that two people are exchanging insults to some degree or another (which is just a fight to me).
But, back when I was prone to being willing to try and have my facts and/or opinions “win”, I still wasn’t prone to bringing it back up. For one, for me to “lose” an argument when I genuinely felt I was correct in my information meant I had just gotten sick of trying to explain whatever it was in the face of blind, stubborn argumentative people. Because that’s the only time I argued. So I would typically not be willing to engage with them again, and certainly not on the same subject.
Now, a friendly debate? Sure, I’d go back with new information, and present it in a friendly way. I’d do the same if it turned out I was wrong on a point of fact.
But, for real, I learned a long time ago that arguments over opinion are pointless to begin with. They never do anything beneficial for the relationship two people have, friends, family, whatever. It’s only facts that are worth trying to convince someone about. They can form whatever opinion of facts they want, and I’ll be free to decide if that opinion is so bad that I can’t interact with them or not. But the opinion itself? Never worth arguing over imo.
Absolutely nothing. If it turns out that I’m right, that’s great to know. Let them think they are right and somewhere along the way, they’ll figure out they were wrong in either a okay-way or in some disaster-way.
This is the way. Also if they come back and tell you were right after all keep note that person is someone that can be trusted. As they can change their mind based on a new data/understanding and they can put their ego aside.
Avoid arguments like the plague.
Then you end up like my family where we communicate that something is wrong in ways that are so esoteric and obtuse that only a few people can tell something is wrong and they have to guess what it is.
There is a lot inbteween those two extremes.
Yeah, and sometimes an argument can help you from reaching one of them.
Avoid arguments as 9/10 they mean nothing.
If you find yourself in an argument, or what you think is an argument, caring about winning/losing is the wrong mindset. This isn’t Debate Camp and there isn’t a trophy waiting for you. Listening, testing your knowledge and convictions, and maintaining your integrity are all much, much more important than “winning”.
If you “lose” an argument, especially if you “lost” to style, tactics, rhetorical devices, etc… then see Rule 1 above.
It really depends who it is, what the topic is, and how much of a dick they were.
Depends on how important it was either practically or personally.
If it involves anyone’s safety or something like that, absolutely correct it ASAP!
“Hey, so remember when we were talking about BLANK? Well, I realized I may not have explained the situation properly. Here’s what I originally intended to communicate but things kind of got off track: (explanation). We need to get this addressed.”
If it’s something petty and pointless? I would be more inclined to leave it unless it comes up again for some reason.
It depends on the consequences of being wrong. If it is going to kill people, keep fighting.
Yep! Too many people get really bent out of shape over details that don’t matter.
I watched these idiots argue over the algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for 10 minutes about why it’s like that. These two idiots were in their 30s and worked dead end jobs.
As soon as you’re in an argument it’s probably a waste of time.
Only continue if it matters to a real decision.
If it’s a real decision and you have reached the point of an argument then it might be better to try to propose experiments or tests to increase the evidence base and directly address the differences of opinion.
You can’t win an argument by being wrong. If you “lost” an argument it behooves you to at least consider the other person’s points. Two people can broth be right and still disagree.
Me, I’ve never “lost” an argument. I’ve either made myself understood or I haven’t, and at some point that’s on the other person. And I’ve either come to understand the other person’s point or I haven’t, which again at some point is on them. But being the one to change your mind isn’t losing, it’s learning.
Even if you’re right, if you don’t defend your point of view well enough, you might lose.
The person I was arguing with claimed that circumcision was a good thing because the U.S. is a country with an advanced healthcare system and circumcision is widespread there.
I couldn’t come up with a proper response; I just said it was due to Jewish influence, but that was wrong. Later, I realized that this was a cultural thing
If its something that can be let go, let go of it. If it something that is important for some reason, like someones safety or something, then bring it up with tact.
I just wait. They’ll eventually understand and present my “losing” position as their own.
Depends. But usually the important thing is that you got your position out there. The opposing party won the argument, but the other listeners may have filled in the blanks and realized you had the better take even if you did not clearly express it.
In other words, truth seekers don’t worry too much about who won. They worry about what’s true.
This has happened to me quite a few times before, and aside from ppl I know really well, the answer had always been no. I’m not good at arguing/debating anyways, so I’d just go “hehe I told you so” secretly
