How to Win an Argument when You Know You Are Wrong

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Reject the validity of their sources.

   If your opponent comes at with you with evidence or statistics, do your best job to discredit their source.
   
   Talk about how their study wasn't big enough or how the reporting wasn't fact-checked or lacked integrity.
   
   Try to take the evidence that supports their claim and discredit it, so they can no longer use it in the argument.
   
   You can also say that the organization or institution that ran the study has a cultural or political bias.
2. 2

   Step 2: Ask distracting questions.

   Asking your opponent questions will give you control over the conversation and may have them scrambling for the correct answer.
   
   Use hypotheticals to turn your opponent's argument on its head, even if the hypothetical situation is incredibly unlikely to happen.Question the person's integrity and motivations.
   
   Get them to question themselves and lose confidence in their stance.
   
   A good question to ask during an argument is, "What evidence do you have to prove that?" Ask an unrealistic hypothetical question such as, "If all men got paternity leave, what would happen if people just started having kids so they could take off work and get paid?"
   
   Make it clear that you have a fuller and more robust understanding of the argument by outwardly telling the other person about the knowledge or experience that you have.
   
   The goal is to create a sense of credibility that will convince the other person that you are correct, even if they think you're wrong.Use any professional or social experience you have to support your claims.
   
   Using anecdotal or one-off stories could help support your claim, even if the stories lack credibility in other situations.
   
   You can say something like, "I've worked in the media, and I know how it works.
   
   I've worked for major outlets for the last decade and I have a better view of things than the average person."
   
   Research the common arguments against you and find the reports or studies that are used to support those arguments.
   
   Think of ways that you can use those same statistics to support your side of the argument.
   
   For example, you can blame the decline in a school's grade point average to stupid students, when in reality it's more directly correlated to a lack of resources and understaffing.
3. 3

   Step 3: Claim your authority.

4. 4

   Step 4: Manipulate statistics and facts.

Detailed Guide

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