Do you find debates on social media edifying and worthwhile? Do you recommend them to everyone? Want to have one right now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you answered \u201cNo\u201d to the above questions, you\u2019re not alone. Engaging in debates on social media platforms<\/a> can be painful, and they often feel like a waste of time or worse\u2014you fail to change anyone\u2019s mind, and you end up hating life just a smidge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Keep reading to learn three benefits of debates on social media and four tips for getting the most out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Often, people run headlong into debates on social media because they expect to brilliantly convince people of their superior point of view. However, the likelihood of changing someone\u2019s mind in a social media debate is about the same as the chances of lightning striking a purple carrot during a solar eclipse<\/a>. If you aim to convince someone else of your point of view, you probably won\u2019t get very far, very often. That\u2019s not necessarily an assessment of your argument skills; it\u2019s just the way it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your goal is to change someone\u2019s mind, social media debates will seem pointless. However, if you go into them with different<\/em> goals in mind, you\u2019ll come out a winner every time. Try this: Aim to clarify and articulate your views, understand other views better, and understand people better\u2014and you\u2019ll never lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a look at each of these three benefits of debates on social media (or anywhere).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you engage in social media debates, you get a chance to explain your viewpoints and the reasons you have them. Take this for the golden opportunity it is. Holding a thought in your head and a feeling in your heart isn\u2019t the same as articulating your experience, observations, knowledge, perspective, and reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you have to put your thoughts and feelings<\/a> into words that someone else will understand, you bring more clarity to yourself if not others, as well. This process helps you identify any gaps in your knowledge or logic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As you engage in discussion and get responses to your views, you discover whether you\u2019re understood and whether you\u2019re persuasive. You find out what questions you have yet to answer, and you get experience with responding to challenges. That\u2019s a valuable skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might end up becoming even more convinced of your position or realizing that you need to adjust it or go back to the drawing board. Either way, that\u2019s valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you engage in an exchange of views, sharing your ideas isn\u2019t necessarily the best part. Another benefit of debates on social media is that you get to learn other perspectives, information, arguments, and approaches. That\u2019s gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Online discussions about issues such as climate change, education policy, capital punishment, and space exploration are bound to include at least some factual information. Chances are, you\u2019ll learn something you didn\u2019t know before.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sincerely seek to understand other views. In Difficult Conversations<\/em><\/a>, Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen offer extensive advice for listening to another person<\/a> in order to understand where they\u2019re coming from. For example, they suggest asking genuine questions with the goal of learning, paraphrasing the other person\u2019s viewpoint to check your comprehension, and acknowledging the other person\u2019s feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Humility comes in handy when taking advantage of this benefit of debates. You don\u2019t know everything<\/a>, and you\u2019re not always right, right? This attitude will help you get more out of social media debates. However, be sure to balance that attitude with a spoonful of skepticism. Verify information before accepting it as true. Well-meaning people can get their facts wrong. Sadly, there are also those who don\u2019t<\/em> mean well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charlie thinks that clowns are terrifying because he read Stephen King\u2019s It<\/em> when he was a teenager. Pat thinks that clowns are lovable because she has fond memories of them from childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tristan thinks that business tax rates should be lower because more jobs would be created as a result. Agatha thinks that gun control laws should be stricter because her sister was shot and killed five years ago. Diego doesn\u2019t believe in God because he believes that science indicates that there\u2019s no necessity for a creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to understanding other views<\/em> better, you\u2019ll get a better grasp on <\/strong>people<\/em><\/strong>\u2014what they care about and why. <\/strong>This refers to psychology in a general sense\u2014getting to know what makes people tick. It also refers to individual people\u2014getting to know a particular person on a deeper level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Great Mental Models Vol. 2<\/em><\/a>, Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish write that, if you disagree with someone, try to figure out why<\/em> they see things that way. Doing so can expand your horizons, improve your relationship<\/a> with the other person, and cause them to reciprocate by taking your perspective into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Talking to Strangers<\/em><\/a>, cautions that there\u2019s no perfect strategy for interpreting a person\u2019s thoughts and intentions. Be careful and attentive when conversing with people, especially people you don\u2019t know well. Don\u2019t jump to conclusions<\/a> about someone based on thin evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more experience you get with social media debates, the more knowledgeable and skilled you\u2019ll be in regard to people. Do it well, and your emotional intelligence will go up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to benefits #2 and #3, you don\u2019t even have to wade into the potentially shark-infested waters of social media debates by adding your viewpoint. Rather than comment, you can just read. <\/strong>You can learn new information and get a glimpse into the minds and hearts of people you know and people you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s look at four tips for engaging in social media debates: define \u201cvictory\u201d wisely, practice classical tolerance, leverage your emotions rather than let them get the best of you, and stand corrected when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philosopher of science Karl Popper said that \u201cthe aim of argument should not be victory but progress.\u201d But, that depends on how you define \u201cvictory.\u201d What if you define \u201cvictory\u201d as \u201cprogress\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s tempting to think that you win a debate if you change someone\u2019s mind and convince them of your way of thinking. Taking the above benefits of debate into account, rethink what it means to win. <\/strong>If you clarify and articulate your views, understand other views better, and understand people better, you win. You benefit. You come out ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to note that you\u2019re not necessarily coming out ahead of your debate opponent. That\u2019s not the most constructive way to think about it. Here are the most meaningful elements to evaluate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For these elements, do a \u201cHow it started \/ How it\u2019s going (How it went)\u201d comparison. Do you see progress? If so, celebrate your victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classical tolerance is egalitarianism toward people and elitism toward ideas. It\u2019s regarding people as equals while recognizing that some ideas are better than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classical tolerance requires distinguishing between a person and their ideas. <\/strong>Let\u2019s say that Saul, your social media debate opponent, believes that tacos are terrible. If you practice classical tolerance, you will respect Saul but regard his idea as the worst ever. Saul\u2019s idea<\/em> is idiotic, but Saul isn\u2019t an idiot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classical tolerance takes practice. Whenever you say or think that someone is stupid or bad, catch yourself and reframe it: It\u2019s their idea<\/em> that\u2019s stupid or bad. (Over time, you\u2019ll even come up with more constructive ways to think and talk about their ideas!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n You choose to engage in a particular debate on social media because you care about the issue. That means that you have emotions tied up with it. Your emotions can help or harm your argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotions help your argument when they allow you to speak from your heart. <\/strong>Imagine a woman whose sister was murdered engaging in a social media debate about parole policies. Her justified sadness and anger can bring authenticity and gravity to the discussion as well as elicit compassion from her opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotions harm your argument when they muddle your logic. <\/strong>Sometimes your emotions are so strong, you can\u2019t think clearly. Stop and think: Are you expressing facts and reasons or just feelings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotions harm your argument when they cause you to lash out. <\/strong>Remember classical tolerance here. If you\u2019re angry about an injustice that you perceive, great. If you\u2019re angry at your opponent, step back. Check yourself: Are you angry about something<\/em>, or are you angry at someone<\/em>? Anger about something<\/em> is likely to be constructive; anger at someone<\/em> is likely to be destructive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her book Radical Candor<\/em><\/a>, Kim Scott explains that people sometimes reach a point in debate where they\u2019re too tired\u2014physically, mentally, or emotionally\u2014to contribute productively. Debate can turn into petty bickering or worse. She advises that you take a break when you realize you\u2019re not making progress. When you engage in debates on social media, you can step away any time you want to. <\/strong>Take advantage of that luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that emotions can help or harm a debate. With practice, you can leverage your emotions rather than allow them to get the best of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you participate in social media debates, you\u2019re liable to be wrong sometimes. This is true for everyone. It\u2019s not because you\u2019re stupid; it\u2019s because you\u2019re human. So, don\u2019t let your ego<\/a> get in the way of admitting when you\u2019re wrong<\/a>. As appropriate, stand corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you admit that you\u2019re wrong\u2014and that they\u2019re right\u2014you win respect points. <\/strong>That\u2019s a huge advantage in social media debates. Denial of your wrongness pushes people away; owning your wrongness draws people in and opens them up to you and perhaps even your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you see the benefits of debates on social media, and when you\u2019re better equipped to take advantage of these benefits, the debates don\u2019t seem so daunting and nauseating. Now that you know how to come out as a winner every time, go for it. A whole new world awaits you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you find debates on social media edifying and worthwhile? Do you recommend them to everyone? Want to have one right now? If you answered \u201cNo\u201d to the above questions, you\u2019re not alone. Engaging in debates on social media platforms can be painful, and they often feel like a waste of time or worse\u2014you fail to change anyone\u2019s mind, and you end up hating life just a smidge. But, it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Keep reading to learn three benefits of debates on social media and four tips for getting the most out of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":88368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,9,43],"tags":[849],"class_list":["post-88365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-psychology","category-self-improvement","tag-general","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\n3 Benefits of Debates on Social Media <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Benefit #1: Clarify and Articulate Your Views<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefit #2: Understand Other Views Better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Benefit #3: Understand People Better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reap Benefits From a Safe Distance<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4 Tips for Engaging in Social Media Debates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tip #1: Define \u201cVictory\u201d as \u201cProgress\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #2: Practice Classical Tolerance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #3: Leverage Your Emotions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip #4: Stand Corrected<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wrapping Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n