It’s why despite being definitionally anti-theist, I almost never talk about it. I didn’t even intend for this post to be about religion, but about moving past the urge to be an annoying debate lord. Once you realize that the winning strategy for debates is to have a troll mindset, you waste a lot less time on fruitless conversations.
A debate is really just a show where the people you’re trying to win over are the audience, not the other person. The way to win such a verbal fisticuffs is to make your opponent look like a fool while making yourself look good. Trolls specialize in getting under people’s skin, which allows them to shape the conversation in predictable ways. Giving your opponent the rope to hang themselves on is the winning strategy in online debates, not having a better argument than them.
Sure but you cant win a debate with someone who has the power of blind faith and confirmation bias, they will never question their beliefs and look for ways to justify them.
It’s why despite being definitionally anti-theist, I almost never talk about it. I didn’t even intend for this post to be about religion, but about moving past the urge to be an annoying debate lord. Once you realize that the winning strategy for debates is to have a troll mindset, you waste a lot less time on fruitless conversations.
A troll doesn’t win the debate, trolls kill debates
On the other hand sometimes killing a “debate” is the best outcome.
How many times has some far right chud dropped of the radar after being absolutely humiliated?
“best outcome” yes, but not a “winning strategy”
A debate is really just a show where the people you’re trying to win over are the audience, not the other person. The way to win such a verbal fisticuffs is to make your opponent look like a fool while making yourself look good. Trolls specialize in getting under people’s skin, which allows them to shape the conversation in predictable ways. Giving your opponent the rope to hang themselves on is the winning strategy in online debates, not having a better argument than them.
Sure but you cant win a debate with someone who has the power of blind faith and confirmation bias, they will never question their beliefs and look for ways to justify them.