Learn the facts before argument

Many times, arguments happen apropos of nothing – a chance altercation with a stranger, or a completely unanticipated issue crops up in a personal or business relationship. In these cases you often have no choice but to go off-the-cuff. Most of the time, though, certain issues on which opinions can differ are a part of the context of a relationship and will quite likely turn up at some point.

Sometimes they are a sure certainty, and you may be able to see them coming from miles away. You may even have a set date scheduled for them – like a quarterly review at work or a date you go out looking for a venue for your wedding with your betrothed.

In these cases, you must prepare yourself by learning as many of the facts surrounding the issue as possible. Anticipate the unplanned but inevitable arguments and bone up industriously on the ones you have a date for. Most of the time, the premises for an argument are based around facts because facts are, by definition, impossible to dispute.

Arming yourself with as many facts as possible is a massively powerful strategy: you can sometimes win an argument outright if you have all the right facts but aren’t as good at the other aspects, but having no facts whatsoever is a surefire way to lose. Knowing the facts behind your side of the argument is also the best way to boost your confidence in your point of view.

Learning the facts doesn’t just mean reading up on your side: find out as much as possible about your opponent’s side as well. This will arm you with a pre-knowledge of what points they are likely to bring up and the best way to counter them, boosting your likelihood of winning. Another possible effect is that you could discover in advance that your viewpoint is in fact incorrect.

This is doubly a win for everyone since the right solution has been arrived at, and without having faced the possibility of strife. It can also be a win for you, increasing your credibility as a reasonable person for future arguments that cannot be avoided.