How to Sound Smart While Arguing Online

AVOID USING FACTS

Going on Google and finding out a bunch of facts about any socio-political issue is easy. But we don't do easy: we strive for challenging paths that test our rigour. Real intellectuals don't need to fact check.

It doesn't matter if your opponent has specialised knowledge on the particular subject of debate. What matters is the realisation that you and solely you, know the true reality. Citing sources and using facts will only demonstrate that you need these to win, and that makes you sound stupid and incompetent.  You must hammer on what you believe to be true and validate your stances time and time again until their willpower to go on is successfully demolished. This makes you look like a more confident person online and helps you win the debate.

INTIMIDATE THEM

Personal attacks and insults are the more accomplished ways of winning an argument online. It might be tempting to use logic to refute something your opponent comments, but don't give into this repulsive idea. The plan is to attack them as much as possible, about everything you can think of: some cringe worthy picture of them from 2012 you found after 2 hours of stalking, their age, or even their music taste. Spare them little mercy so that they leave the battlefield and you effectively win the debate.

STRAW MAN ARGUMENTS

Now, the idea of straw man arguments can be scary at first because it requires a lot of skill to employ such tactics. To straw man means to argue with a distorted version of what your opponent says instead of what they're actually trying to say. As dissecting their points takes a lot of time and effort, it's advisable to take the smarter way and change what they meant completely.

For example, if someone says something like, 'The lives of the poor matter.' Make sure to reply to that with, 'No, ALL lives matter.'

This is especially useful in cases where you might not be well-informed about what people are discussing in the comment section. It can be painful to hold your opinions back and not indulge in the satisfying online debate that's happening. The simple solution is to straw man. It doesn't only make you sound smart and capable but also leads people to wonder just how you can fit so much information in that brain of yours.

THE ART OF BLOCKING

Sometimes, we must resort to the unfortunate event of blocking an individual. Be aware, you must be quick while carrying out this task. Explain your stances and immediately block your rival before they've a chance to go at their keyboard. The satisfaction from this particular activity can be greater than winning the argument itself.

Most importantly, this establishes your superiority in the battlefield because you'll now have the last word.

In conclusion, following these steps will ensure your victory in every online debate you engage in. You might be excluded from every social gathering ever, but that's only because they fear that you'll decimate them with your superior debating skills. You can now sleep easy knowing that you're better than everyone else.