In a debate, what's it called when you pretend to agree with a point you don't actually agree with, because you think it will make the person more open to agreeing with you on other points?
In a debate, what's it called when you pretend to agree with a point you don't actually agree with, because you think it will make the person more open to agreeing with you on other points?
You're viewing a single thread.
Not very far from maieutics, the Socratic cooperative argumentative dialogue "based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions" (Wikipedia).
It is less that you agree with a point of view then you asking questions in order to "bring out definitions implicit in the interlocutors' beliefs, or to help them further their understanding" (Wikipedia still).
You do not contradict them outright, you bring them to either contradict themselves, or to realize that their point of view is based on irrational beliefs and ultimately they change it.
You do not contradict them outright, you bring them to either contradict themselves, or to realize that their point of view is based on irrational beliefs and ultimately they change it.
Ha! I see you've never argued with conservatives. They'll contradict themselves a dozen times in one sentence. Then stand there proudly as if they made you and anyone around instantly change your core beliefs.
It's not a conservative thing, it's a human thing. In order to confront the contradiction, you have to be willing to deal with what that contradiction MEANS. Cause it often means that you were hurting someone, and that will make you feel bad, and your brain really doesn't like feeling bad. Like, it really really doesn't like it and will try to reject anything that doesn't make the bad feeling go away. Ironic, since the fastest way to deal with the guilt is to accept that you caused harm and won't now that you know it.
Generally speaking feelings felt are feelings processed. The avoidance of the feeling is indeed the thing that keeps the feeling there in an unchanged state (waiting to be processed).
You’re absolutely right that the fastest way to be free of some guilt is to acknowledge what you did and atone for it, and that atonement often means feeling that guilt in as unfiltered a form as possible.
Kinda like quitting cigarettes. The only way out is through that withdrawal you keep putting off with each new cigarette.
I'm sure they had conservatives in Ancient Athens. You might need a great deal of training to pull it.
It's not unique to conservatives. I've argued with people on all sides who were incapable of critical thinking.