This is about informal argument and debate.

1. Can You Convince Me? The Art of Informal Debate C. J. Quinones, 2009

2. What is Informal Debate? A debate is a contest, or, perhaps, like a game, where two or more speakers present their arguments intent on persuading one another. Informal debate can happen anywhere. C. J. Quinones, 2009

3. Argument vs. Debate Debate or debating is a formal method of interactive and representational argument. In logic, an argument is a set of one or more meaningful declarative sentences (or "propositions") along with another meaningful declarative sentence known as the premise, (or "proposition") known as the conclusion. Premises and conclusions are either true or false. C. J. Quinones, 2009

4. Forms of Argument Deductive asserts that the truth of the conclusion is a logical consequence of the premises. Inductive asserts that the truth of the conclusion is supported by the premises. C. J. Quinones, 2009

6. Example 1. All men are mortal. (premise) 2. Socrates was a man. (premise) 3. Socrates was mortal. (conclusion) C. J. Quinones, 2009

7. Inductive Arguments An inductive argument is one in which the premises are supposed to support the conclusion in such a way that if the premises are true, it is improbable that the conclusion would be false. Thus, the conclusion follows probably from the premises and inferences. C. J. Quinones, 2009

8. Example 1. Socrates was Greek. (premise) 2. Most Greeks eat fish. (premise) 3. Socrates ate fish. (conclusion) C. J. Quinones, 2009

9. Logical Fallacies Fallacies are defects in an argument that cause it to be invalid, unsound, or weak. In a deductive argument, the existence of a fallacy means that the argument is not valid - even if the premises are true, the conclusion might still be false. A fallacy does not guarantee it is false; a fallacious argument fails to provide a good reason to believe the conclusion, even if that conclusion is correct. C. J. Quinones, 2009

10. How to Win Informal Arguments and Debates Decide on a position and become well-informed. Find someone to debate with. Begin by stating a thesis. Respond to objections. Build on your opponent’s objections. Attempt to resolve each point before moving ahead. Remain calm, rational and reasonable. Have patience. Use effective speech and grammar. Ask questions. Be willing to lose. Don’t take too much pride in being right. http://www.wikihow.com C. J. Quinones, 2009

11. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) 1) Enter their world Try to understand the situation from their point of view. Ask yourself if you are them, what would you do? What would be your opinion? Take the appropriate action that would be beneficial to them. C. J. Quinones, 2009

12. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Mirror Their Body Language People feel comfortable with those who are like them. Observing how they act, how they speak, and how they think is called mirroring. If they rub their forehead while they think, act like them. If they speak at a clear and slow pace, try to do the same thing. Proceed with caution--do not let them be aware that you are copying them. C. J. Quinones, 2009

13. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Be Cheerful and Nice People like others who brighten up their day. Make a sincere compliment to raise their spirits. Little things like these go a long way to breaking the ice and setting the relationship off to a good start. C. J. Quinones, 2009

14. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Be Sincere and Trustworthy Make them feel that whenever they need help or just someone to look up to, you’ll always be there to lend a hand. People tend to be more receptive to those they trust. C. J. Quinones, 2009

15. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Provide Them with Compelling Evidence Explain to them how your ideas or suggestions could be the most effective techniques to implement. Show them undeniable proof by way of testimonials, before and after scenarios, and detailed comparisons against the opposing side. Just make sure that all your claims are true and verifiable. Always maintain a good reputation. C. J. Quinones, 2009

16. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Show Them What’s In It for Them People are self-centered. They tend to put their own well-being before others. No matter how close you are to becoming like them or how overwhelming your evidence is, if it does not satisfy the "What’s In It For Me?" test, your persuasion efforts will not produce satisfactory results. If you can prove that your proposal will provide more advantageous benefits to them than to you, they are more likely to accept it. C. J. Quinones, 2009

17. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Genuinely Care For Them Focus more on their interests, desires, needs, and expectations, so you can satisfy their craving for attention, and establish mutual trust and respect. It shows that you really care about them and that will make them more likely to trust you and want to work with you. C. J. Quinones, 2009

18. 7 Tips to Successfully Persuade Anyone(By Priya Shah) Enter their world Mirror their body language Be cheerful and nice Be sincere and trustworthy Provide them with compelling evidence Show them what’s in it for them Genuinely care for them C. J. Quinones, 2009

19. Now You Try! Select several campus issues that are currently hot. Divide into smaller groups to discuss the issue. Each person in the group should represent a different opinion or view. (The object is to persuade the others to side with you.) If necessary, the position you will take will be provided. Try to use the tips provided as a guide. C. J. Quinones, 2009

20. Now You Try! You will be provided a task to role-play in pairs. You will be provided a little time to think but then you must perform for your peers. You will receive feedback. C. J. Quinones, 2009

21. Now You Try! Find a short news article from cnn.com or nytimes.com on an issue you are interested in. Become informed. Take a position and discuss it with a partner. If they agree, find a partner who may not feel exactly the same on the issue. We will rotate. After each rotation, you will fill out a card about how convincing each person was. C. J. Quinones, 2009