Most bad faith argumentation is a pretty straightforward combination of misdirection, cherry picking, outright lying, "proof" by repeated assertion, and a huge dose of personal insults and ridicule.
There's no need to stick to facts or logic if your opponent has made it clear it's not a good faith exchange.
The challenge is knowing how to calibrate responses for maximum effect on the audience - who are usually the real target - balanced between keeping credibility and staying relatable instead of dislikable.
The problem with pointing out logical fallacies is that it erodes both of those.
So you can end up being 100% right while appearing 100% wrong.
If you're trying to win over an audience based on fact, you've already lost.
Emotion wins every single time.
This is where you see a lot of really smart people trip up. They think that being right matters. It doesn't.
> The challenge is knowing how to calibrate responses for maximum effect on the audience - who are usually the real target - balanced between keeping credibility and staying relatable instead of dislikable.
Sure, but most such losses are easily sustained, costing almost nothing.
Certainly, some are not. When running for office, it's dangerous. When talking to family, it's dangerous. But I sustain losses with a simple "fair enough" and walk away quite often having lost nothing. To people with slightly more good faith, a quick "I'm not quite convinced, but I can't nail down my disagreement" is sufficient to gracefully take the L.
AFAIK I'm quite well-respected in my peer group so it isn't causing me any harm.
You're not playing that game, you're going to play this other, better one instead. It requires some eloquence, charisma, and social intelligence to pull off such a redirection, though.
In defining the played game, the other person is expressing social power. Either playing along or refusing still allows them that power, whereas changing the game is addressing that expression of superiority directly.
Except if you start with "OK, let's play along and see where that leads us".
This leads to disaster.
"OK, now that we've seen that what you are saying is bullshit, let's talk real" (you turn away form that person and start to talk even if they do as well)
