“What do we mean by “winning”? If the objective is to achieve some quick result—to induce a particular action, or even simply rouse an immediate sense of approbation and identification—then the competent arguer will say and do things that will cause him to be liked by his opponent or the audience, even at the technical expense of his argument. He may omit certain points because they might be offensive to some … he will carefully avoid ridiculing even the patently ridiculous … All this is quite proper. But pulling one’s punches may also have the side effect of letting falsehood off too easily for the audience’s (or even the opponent’s) long-range good. One may win an argument today by exciting personal admiration or gratitude or even sympathy; but arguments “won” in this way tend to get lost retroactively.”
Source: How to Win Arguments (1981)
Keywords: debate,public-discourse
