Are you looking for tricks to win an argument? In an essay, during a debate, in a fight – there will be plenty of occasions in your life when you have to argue and advocate your opinion.

While you can always make someone else shape a good argument for your college paper, you still need to master the art of persuasion to succeed in other spheres of life.

Your ability to persuade others will define your success in school, at work, and in life. So, knowing how to win an argument is one of the basic skills everyone has to acquire.

Leveraging Emotional Intelligence: Reading Your Opponent’s Moves

Behind every good argument, there are three things – valid information, logical reasoning, and a bit of psychology. Thus, if you know how to use all these components together, you will be able to win any argument with ease.

To help you get started, we have gathered the top six tips for organizing your arguments effectively and persuading people like a pro.

If you are currently a student, you should know that writing a good paper always starts with thorough research and filling the knowledge gaps. These are the keys to shaping a winning argument. And you can apply this tactic in any kind of argument.

Here’s what you should do. Before trying to convince someone of something, be sure to do some research to create the framework for your future argument.

Offer your opponent a coherent narrative that fills all the knowledge gaps that might be in their understanding. Use valid facts and accurate information to show people why they were being misled before. 

Win An Argument By Reframing the Issue

Each of our beliefs, even the smallest ones, is deeply rooted in our minds and linked to a much more complex and broad ideology. And often, this ideology is fostered in us throughout our entire life.

If you attack one of such deeply-rooted beliefs in an argument, there is a risk of breaking the opponent’s entire worldview, and they can feel it.

According to psychologists, sensing a threat to their deeply-rooted ideology and world outlook triggers a very emotionally charged response in people. As a result, not wanting to let their worldview be destroyed, they can get closed-minded and deny even the most undeniable evidence.

To overcome this protective mechanism and win an argument without altering someone’s entire ideology in a single conversation, it is much better to reframe the issue instead.

Find a way to explain to your opponent how your arguments can be accommodated into their existing worldview. If you can do this and then provide the evidence they can’t deny, you will win.

Framing Your Argument: How Presentation Changes Perception

When there is no way to fit your arguments into the opponent’s own worldview, there is another simple strategy to win. Instead of appealing to them and their world directly, ask your readers/listeners to look at the problem from an outside perspective.

For example, when arguing about the abortion ban, offer your interlocutor to imagine the argument from the viewpoint of someone of different sex.

Ask them how a man would feel if they were taken away from their freedom of choice. This simple psychological trick often helps to encourage a more rational and detached mindset during a debate or argument.

Make Good Arguments

It is impossible to win an argument if your arguments are bad. It may sound way too obvious, but this is true. The truth is that many people pretend to give reasons to support their ideas, but in reality, they don’t give any reason at all.

To avoid making this mistake, be sure to use good logic and reasoning every time you want to persuade someone. Use facts and valid evidence.

NEVER use arguments like “You must be wrong because you are (young, stupid, inexperienced, etc.).” And never use emotional arguments. These can only trigger a negative reaction in your opponent and definitely won’t help you win.

Win An Argument By Being a Good Listener

When it comes to face-to-face arguments, there is one thing that can make you win or lose even before you start arguing – it is your ability to actually listen to your opponent. Unfortunately, the truth is that many discussions turn out to be not so successful just because two (or more) people fail to hear each other out.

Remember that there can be no constructive conversation if one or all interlocutors are unwilling to listen and respect the opinions of each other. So, be sure to be a good listener. Show that you can listen patiently and respectfully, and you will be surprised by how much this can change the situation.

Stay Kind

One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to prove their point of view (especially during debates or other in-person arguments) is turning up the tone and getting aggressive.

But at the end of our article, we want to stress the fact that aggressive arguing is always counterproductive, especially if your goal is to persuade and change minds rather than show your superiority.

When people are treated with kindness, compassion, and respect, they are generally more rational in their arguments and more open to other people’s ideas. On the contrary, they get more closed-minded when they feel aggression or threat.

If your opponent is closed-minded, the chances of winning the argument get pretty low. So, whenever you try to persuade someone about something, always stay kind!

Win An Argument Bottom Line

Persuading people about something is a powerful skill that can make you go places in life. Not without reason, we are being taught the art of persuasion and reasoning starting from an early age in school and then in college. Yet, the big problem is that many people still have no idea how to argue effectively.

Hopefully, this article will help you finally master this art. Use the tips we shared here and start winning arguments like a pro!

Author: Jessie Clark of Pay For Essay