1. Pretend your opponent is really good, even if they aren’t

Nothing sends an argument down the toilet like willfully misunderstanding what the other person is trying to say. Answer the counter argument at it’s strongest points. This makes you look smart because only a person confident in their own case would feel generous enough to help out the other side.

2. Critique the argument, not the person

If you want to lose all your credibility leave your argument on the sidelines and attack the person. Remember when Rush Limbaugh was debating birth control and said a woman who disagreed with him probably just wanted it because she was a slut? It’s going to piss people off, not make them agree with you.

3. Don’t get mad at it

It’s not wrong, despite what traditional rhetoric might say, to give credence to your emotions. You are a human and it’s…