Making a Good Argument

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT claim to be all authority in the Dos and Don'ts of debating. Feel free to disagree with me.

People have often wondered why I don't reply to them when it comes to a debate or why I take such a long time. Not debating properly and flinging in personal opinions (carelessly without backing anything up) is a pet peeve of mine.

It's one thing to CREATE A TOPIC and place in your opinions to create something for discussion and it's another to post a reply containing your OWN opinions (which are subjective) and insisting that you're right all the way without backing it up with facts or statistics.

Creating a Good and Solid Argument

A debate is something that is structured and it is an intellectual discussion of perspectives. It is a discussion to push your opinion across and to convince someone to see why you see things the way they are.

A debate is not a battlefield where you bomb people around and expect them to accept your ideas immediately.

So what makes a good argument?

1. Proper grammar and spelling
2. Structure
3. Refreshing Perspectives
4. Language skills - slightly different from grammar and spelling
5. Statistics, reasoning, explanation, stories, etc.
6. Proper tone
7. Consistency
8. Tactfulness

What DOESN'T make a good argument?

1. Contradictions in your own statements
2. Babbling
3. Sweeping statements
4. SMS Language
5. Arrogance
6. Forcing opinions onto others
7. An instructional session

Well, I'm going into detail about this now...

What makes a good argument?

(I) Proper grammar and spelling

A debate is pretty much COMMUNICATING and CONVINCING your opponent to see things in/from your perspective. While language and bombastic vocabularly is not necessary, proper grammar and, in the case of something typed or written, spelling is important.

Whether you like it or not, whether your point is valid or not, poor grammar and spelling tend to make your argument less credible. It simply gives the reader/listener an impression that you haven't thought through your point carefully.

(II) Structure

Everything needs a beginning, body and end. It gives a sense of form and direction and makes it easier for the receipient to follow and process whatever is given. This is not a set formula but merely a general rule of thumb. There ARE exceptions.

Anyway, back to the topic, jumping all over the place is NOT going to help your case. The receipient will eventually (soon) give up and not bother even listening, much less consider, your opinions.

(III) Refreshing Perspectives

For the love of all things good - don't give contrived opinions.

One example: All games are bad 'cuz the suxxors! Dey oso cosed the mess shoooooootingzzzzz in americaz!

First of all: Been there, done that. An opinion like THAT is contrived and has been argued to death.

Secondly, such a narrow perspective takes away from your credibility. Using the above example, ALL games are classified as violent and eventually cause murder.

This statement, in itself, is utterly ridiculous. Games do NOT just encompass fighting and murder and rape. I can easily render that statement invalid by asking this: Does Harvest Moon (also a video game) cause violence?

A refreshing perspective easily lends you more credibility and gives you an upper hand if you can back it up. One obvious reason is that it throws the opponent off because they weren't expecting such a reasoning or new view.

(IV) Language skills - slightly different from grammar and spelling

Language skills are basically how you communicate your ideas in a way that is interesting and not as if you're just reciting a memorized script. It's really all about speaking skills here.

It's not entirely necessary but you know something's wrong if everyone's turning glassy-eyed when you speak.

Some of the techniques used are things like sarcasm, irony and unusual phrasing.

(V) Statistics, reasoning, explanation, stories, etc.

Heard of the statement, "Numbers don't lie"? Statistics, while not always reliable, add an element of credibility to you as it shows effort in research and some level of knowledge on the given matter.

Things like reasoning, explanation and stories merely make the point easier to understand. Don't overdo this.

(VI) Proper tone

Seriously. I don't think I need to actually elaborate on this point. It's simply like this: Between a flippant and serious tone - Who's going to be taken more seriously?

On a added note, a pompous tone, when applied in the right situation, can be highly intimidating to the opponent and give a 'Wow' factor to you. Just don't overdo this. It can get quite annoying and come across as arogance instead.

(VII) Consistency

I agree with this statement because it is valid yet I don't agree with it because it is invalid.

...

I don't know what point I'm trying to drive at. Now state something to decrease my credibility. :)

(VIII) Tactfulness

General rule of thumb: Never talk about religion, politics or someone else's mum unless they're the point of debate.

What makes a BAD argument?

(I) Contradictions in your own statements

I agree with this statement because it is valid yet I don't agree with it because it is invalid.

...

I don't know what point I'm trying to drive at. Now state something to decrease my credibility. :)

(II) Babbling

Driving at the same point multiple times at a go becomes EXTREMELY droll. Don't OVER-explain something or drift on into something unrelated to the topic.

Stay focused on the task and topic at hand.

(III) Sweeping statements

"All guys hate cooking." "All girls hate gaming."

Uhh hello? I'm a guy and I like cooking. I know girls in my Games Design course who are obsessed with games.

(IV) SMS Language

Nh.. Srsly. im sr ppl wl tk ths srsly. im ptty sr ts ez 2 ndrstand 2 n e ht of a dbt. :)

(V) Arrogance

As you may have noticed, my abrasive tone is starting to get on the nerves of some people. :) Now imagine if the judges felt that way about you. :)

(VI) Forcing opinions onto others

Simply this logic: At what point of logic and authority do you have to claim that you have greater and absolute knowledge compared to me?

(VII) An instructional session

Again, a debate is to CONVINCE a person. Not an instructional session on how they should lead their life.