“There is only one way to get the best of an argument – and that is to avoid it”, Dale Carnegie
“Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; an argument an exchange of ignorance.”, Robert Quillen
“Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool”, Charles Simmons
What is the difference between a discussion and an argument. In a discussion, the parties involved are exchanging ideas and debating the merits of the ideas with facts and observations. An argument is an emotional verbal exchange where the participants are focused on forcing others to accept their opinion as the truth. Arguments are rarely supported by sound facts.
For example, if a group is discussing whether a bat is a bird of mammal, everyone in the group will accept the scientific consensus on the question. In an argument, one person would claim the that bat is a bird because it flies. The evidence he will propose is that he has seen a bat fly. Mammals have four legs and birds have two wings. He would also not hesitate to call the other person stupid for thinking that it is a mammal. If the other person shows that Google agrees with him and cites a reputable source, he will not hesitate to propose a preposterous response to refute the evidence. The reason is that the person is not arguing on the topic. He is feeding or protecting his ego.
Arguments are about winning. It is an emotional discussion where one person is trying to show himself to be better than the other. Naturally, there is no point is participating in an argument. Whenever I see a discussion turning into an argument, I simply change the subject. If that doesn’t work, then I simply walk away. What if you cannot walk away from it for whatever reason? Simply use term like, “let’s agree to disagree” or “let’s revisit this topic later”. Basically avoid the topic altogether or delay the argument indefinitely. Why not solve the argument, instead? There is “no solving the argument” because it is, by definition, illogical.
No point in getting into arguments. Avoid it like the plague.