When you find yourself in an argument, nothing helps more than keeping
your cool. That's easier said than done, of course. Redditor
platinum95 suggests you'll have an easier time if you pretend that
somebody's recording you.

I found that I used to let my voice go high-pitched, I'd say some
stupid things, make false points or let myself get worked up. But when
I started acting like i was being recorded, I would stay a lot more
calm, make more concise and generally better points, and generally
seem smarter. It's made me a lot better at settling arguments.

While not something I've had an opportunity to test out, I think this
is a really clever idea. I always make an effort to remain as calm as
possible but sometimes slip up when I feel like I need to let the
anger out—something that doesn't actually help, by the way. I plan to
keep this trick in mind for the future.

http://cloud.feedly.com/#subscriptio...fehacker%2Fvip

This seems like really good advice. I hope I remember to use it next
time the situation arises.

Sounds like a really good idea if you can remember to use it when you are really worked up.

On Friday, September 20, 2013 8:31:18 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Sounds like a really good idea if you can remember to use it when you are really worked up.

The basic, basic, basic is to stop and take a few long, deep breaths. Then, when you're sufficiently oxygenated, ask yourself what would be the consequences if...

In fact, "what if" is the basic of science and critical thinking.

But individuals (largely male) who lack impulse control can't usually get to "what if"; they are totally in the moment. This works fine in war, when you don't have time to figure out who/why somebody is shooting at you.
However, in civilian life, lack of impulse control causes terrible problems up to & including death. This has in recent years been intensively studied, and actual regions of the brain have been identified that govern control..

Sorry, I wandered away from just argument to more serious conflict.

Argument, I used to bust my buns trying to present evidence/facts to persuade my vis-a-vis. Now I try to psyche out whether they would even *consider evidence/facts*, or whether they're so wedded to their doctrine that such efforts would be fruitless.

But let's not abolish arguments!!! What a dull world if everyone thought the same way; marched in lockstep. Hmmm...why did I suddenly think of one Party in Congress...

HB

On Sat, 21 Sep 2013 11:52:31 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

What a dull world if everyone thought the same way; marched in lockstep. Hmmm...why did I suddenly think of one Party in Congress...

We must be thinking the same thing about Democrats. If you disagree
with them you are called a racist, a terrorist, an arsonist, an
anarchist, etc. You hate clean water, you hate women, you hate
insert.