Debate - Rules of Argument

This topic is something important for everyone. It's a guide to disagreements. Sure, somebody can argue with this itself, but this is so that all my beliefs about debate and arguing are clearly stated beforehand. I'm not just gonna say a statement, I'll tell why I do what I do. And I, of course, expect a lot of these these things from anybody arguing with me. The first list is strict and logical rules, the second is recommendations for good reasons.

0. No double standards.
- This is rule zero. It's rather obvious (the zero part and the rule), but it needs stated. It also helps form many of the other ideas in this article.
- If you expect something of others, you should do (or sincerely try and do) the said something. If you say something is true, you have to keep it true through anything you say. Sure, you can slip up by honest mistake, but if yourself or someone else notices a double standard, you need to take ONE side, and apologize for your mistake.
- Double standard is a synonym for hypocrisy. By saying one thing and doing another, that's hypocrisy/a double standard.
- Of course, I try my hardest to follow this rule. If I appear to have a double standard, please point it out (with details to help me understand, of course).

1. If you speak something, you are open to other's opinions on what you said.
- You already know your own thoughts. What is the point of speaking but to tell others. And you would not speak unless you expected those people hearing to listen. And it would be a double standard to expect others to listen to you, and not to listen to them (especially on the same topic, whatever you may be talking about).
- When I say something, I'm ALWAYS open to debate. It may be possible for exceptions to this rule, but I can't think of anything that count.
- If they say their rebuttal (counter opinion/contradiction/disprovement), then they follow this same rule, and you get your rebuttal. And this goes on until it ends, which leads me to the next rule...

2. An argument ends either of two ways: Someone wins, or someone gives up.
- If someone proves their point, they win. I don't have a whole lot of details of the conditions, but that's one way. They other way is if someone gives up, which I will clarify in my next rule.
- I can't say no bloating and gloating, but I don't recommend it, and if you choose to do so, you have the high risk of loosing the respect of the person you just proved wrong.

3. If you surrender in an argument before it actually ends, you forfeit the right for the final word.
- If you are argueing/debating, and you no longer want to continue, you have to accept the fact that the other person has the final word. Why would you say "I don't want to argue" and expect the other person to not say anything in response. If you don't want to discuss anymore, don't respond.
- And if you are done arguing, don't say "I don't want to argue anymore" and then say rebuttals to the other her person's last statement. You aren't trying to stop arguing, you're trying to get the last person to be quiet after you get your last word. That breaks rule Zero and makes you a hypocrite. This is very dishonorable.

4. If you drop a point in an argument, it is considered that the other person was correct.
- This is a little like rule Four, but still different. While a whole argument dropped is often considered a tie or unresolved, a dropped point in an argument is considered to be true for the last person who made a responding point.
- If I say something is true for three reasons, you say three things that contradict each one, and then I only say things that contradict two, it makes sense that the unaddressed point on your part is true. The only thing that makes something not true is something that contradicts it.

5. Impact!
- This was a big point in my debate class. When you state some kind of fact or statistic, make sure you say what relevance it has, even if you think it's obvious. You need to state the impact of what you said has on the argument and the point you are addressing.

6. No profanity and watch for heavy insulting.
- Cussing is irrelevant. Regardless of if you think it's wrong or okay, don't use it. It agitates the other person and is considered by many wrong. You don't need it, so show maturity by realizing this and not using it.
- Of course, once in a while I'll say something like crap or say that such-and-such "botched" things up. But the main point of this is CALLING people profane things.
- It's a debate, no need for insults. Of course, if someone is being unfair, illogical, or childish, you might need to point that out.
- Clarify everything! If you say someone is being unfair, say why. If you think something doesn't make sense, explain why it is illogical. Explain the things you say; don't expect people to figure out what you mean, as you wouldn't want them to do to you. But make sure you're not just insulting; follow rule Five and explain things, otherwise its more like an insult than reasoning.

Now here are some personal preferences and tips. These will help you debate a lot better

1. Numbering things helps a tremendously!
- Sure, you don't HAVE to do this, especially in the beginnings of arguments. But once multiple points are being made, this helps a lot. You can use the - if you don't want to number, but people can respond with the exact number if you do, helping you be able to respond to each point, as opposed to trying to respond to it as a whole.
- If someone has "2. POINT" and then you have two separate responding points regarding that single point, you may even go as far as saying in response "2A. POINT" and "2B. POINT".

2. Debate in your head.
- Don't just type the first thing that pops into your mind. Think if you were them what they might say. It saves lots of time and avoids any more stress a debate can cause.
- Be honest and put yourself in their shoes. Think about why they are saying what they say. This whole rule really has to do with the fact that you need to understand the whole argument, not just getting your point across as true, which leads me to the last tip...

3. An argument is to figure out whats true, not to win.
- I think a lot of people try way to hard to be right for the sake of it. I don't, I just don't like it when people assume they can say a fact and I'll automatically agree, and if I don't agree then they get very defensive.
- The reason for an argument is so that two people can A. Figure out if they agree B. Figure out what is the same and what is different C. Both agree, regardless of if they both compromised, or one person was completely wrong.
- It's okay to not like being wrong, that just means you want to know the truth. You need to be accepting of admitting you are wrong, but you can't accept being wrong. You always need to search and be open minded to what is true.

So yeah, that's it. Who knows, I may come and add more stuff to this. And there are lots of other tidbits, but these seemed very urgent and important to me.

OF COURSE (which I recently realized I say a lot), you can argue with me about these points themselves. Being open minded means being open minded about the definition of the phrase itself.

Also, I plan on writing a blog post about the last point of the last tip, about not liking to be wrong, and not liking to feel wrong. Hopefully I can get to it soon, but with so much stuff I want to write (about Politics, Anime, Gaming, Christianity, etc.) I can't guarantee it any time soon...

I luv comments! Thanks for reading!
-Jac

OH NO3Z! LOGIK!

Here it is. The thinker's blog. This is where I talk Christianity (God, the Bible, etc.), Theology (Right, Wrong, etc.), and a bunch of etc. lol.

So um, lets be intelijent.

Anyways, this is just the intro. I've got a topic planned to be up soon, so look forward to that. It'll be on two extreme views on judging and acceptance.

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God Bless!
-Jac