: Five Ways to Win People over in an Argument
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(418 Words)
It can be difficult to win people over in an argument, however various strategies may be effective. Consider the five following ideas.
Give clear reasons
Just saying what you want or what you think is right over and over again is not going to win too many people over. Instead you may want to rationalize what you are saying with clear and concise reasons. Explain why you believe that your argument is right. The more convincing your reasons, the less they will be able to refute them and the more likely they are to switch to your side.
Stay calm
Sometimes people get so heated in an argument that it does not matter what the other person says. They are just arguing for the sake of arguing. You want to try to avoid this. Stay calm and logical. If you are very offensive then they will just be defensive and little will be accomplished.
Get other people to your side
If there is a particular person that you want to move to your side of the argument then you may be able to accomplish it if you can convince others to join you. The more people you get, the more they may be inclined to join with you. Sometimes it is about getting a key person to agree with you, whom they will then agree with.
Gain empathy
The person may be more likely to believe in your argument if you can get them to understand where you are coming from and how you are feeling. Try to get them to see how it feels to be in your shoes, so to speak. You can literally ask them how they would feel if they were you.
Try to find the commonality between your sides
Sometimes the two sides of an argument are not all that different. The people are often motivated by the same things. You may be able to talk about what is the same in the two sides. You can talk about what you will both get out of the argument. Try to make them see that it can be beneficial for everyone or fair for everyone (if it is). You may even try to get them to think that parts of your argument are their idea as well. You can also try to compromise a little to get them to your side.
Many arguments can be won with the right combination of techniques. Try the above strategies to see if they can work for you.