The internet and the social media have become integral communication tools for people worldwide, creating room for endless online discussions. Internet debates usually take longer than real life ones because virtual arguments could drag on for days.
You usually find heated debates in the comments section of any posts – comments which always end up in a useless dispute, with no added value. Even though such internet debates can broaden our horizons, we often miss this chance by fighting instead.
Here, at Identity, we have to engage in these debates as part of our job specification. We’ve gained a lot of experience and learnt all about the valuable rules of internet debating. Here’s some of what we learnt, setting the debating example on Nicolas Cage – just because I was too lazy to think of another example, and I saw his “you don’t say” meme.
Know the difference between opinions and facts
By definition (which is a fact) – A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven. Opinions can be based on facts or emotions and sometimes they are meant to deliberately mislead others.
Examples:
Fact: Nicolas Cage is a big actor with a huge, successful, portfolio.
Opinion: I think he’s a bad actor.
Your opinion is NOT a fact!
Now that we learned the difference between facts and opinion, understand that your opinion is not, and never will be, a fact. Many believe that if I think so, then it’s true and everyone should agree with me. That’s not the case! Your opinion about religion, politics, life issues, or anything for that matter is exclusively yours.
Example: Nicolas cage is a successful actor, but I personally don’t like his acting. My opinion, however, doesn’t change the fact that he’s a successful actor.
Learn to agree on disagreeing
Based on the fact that your opinion is not a fact, you should agree to disagree. Respect that everyone has their own opinion, based on their beliefs, personality, upbringing, along with many other factors.
Example:
You like Nicolas Cage, I hate Nicolas cage. I can’t force you to hate him, and you can’t force me to like him. We both agree that he’s a successful actor, but we disagree on whether he’s good or not.
It’s okay to change your mind
You don’t have to be stubborn when you’re arguing on the internet. The reason you’re arguing is because you want the person on the other end to get your point of view, and hopefully agree with you. It’s okay if it goes the other way round.
Example:
I argued that all Nicolas Cage movies are bad because he’s a bad actor. I then learned that some of his movies aren’t that bad, because the supporting actors, directors, and producers were good.
Don’t question people
People don’t owe you explanations to their opinions, so you shouldn’t question them. Yes, you could ask genuine questions, but don’t question them.
Example:
Questioning someone: How could you think Nicolas Cage is a good actor? Explain yourself! I’ve never seen him act well. Have you seen Ghost Rider? Are you dumb?
Asking a question: I, personally, never saw him act well in any movie. Can you recommend a movie you think he was good at?
Know when to wrap the argument up
Sometimes arguments and debates are hopelessly meaningless. Learn when is the right time to end it, or simply stop replying. You know it’s going nowhere and you won’t reach a conclusion. Save yourself the time and energy!