Anti-Subjugator

From the Iraqi blogs (of a decade ago), in particular, Sarmad's "Road of a Nation", there is some great writing from Charles, who is a physicist (and it is interesting to note that these gems come from someone with a hard science background not a soft arts background). He came up with several brilliant insights, so this is just one:


In the biography of Benjamin Franklin he writes about how he suddenly had a revelation concerning how to convince people in argument.

Up till then he was like you, he would attack and bludgeon the other's point of view with logic and information and devastating critiques.

The other person, threatened, always battened down the hatches and never let the ideas penetrate.

I think your "left" "right" defining does that too.

Then he found that if he listened to the other person respectfully, and then instead of dismissing said, "oh that's interesting, I would have thought ..., why isn't that so?" He could lead the other on gently by questions until that person thinks of the weaknesses in his position or comes to the conclusion Franklin wanted to implant.