So, is it really who talks the loudest and longest that wins an argument?

I have noticed this trend also. Not only here on certain threads, but in my own family.
My oldest brother thinks if he talks louder than me and at me, not an exchange of ideas, but really just talking loudly at me, I will agree with him. And I usually do, just to shut him up.
My boss does this too, and mainly when she knows I won’t agree with her, so she talks over me to the point I don’t even answer, so she thinks I agree.

YYYYEEEESSSS!!!!!!

Unfortunately, yes.

Ironically they have lost. It is the calm person who wins every time.

I DISAGREE

Quite the opposite, as soon as a person begins to rant & rave, forcing their point like a petulant child, they’ve lost.
I tend to point & giggle by that stage anyway, just to force home my superiority.

Those who argue in this manner frequently cause their opponents to retreat in exasperation. That does not mean they one the arguement unless they actually persuaded others to accept their views.

Nah… Most folks know what’s really going on. The winner is the person who conveys their thoughts better and who swears the least. I turn people off who get mean. Vulgarity is no substitute for wit.

I think the person who “won” is the person who made the most valid points according to a natural 3rd party. No, there isn’t always a 3rd party present, but if you reflect objectively, most reasonable people could get an honest answer from themselves.

*neutral

I would like to think the logical calm person prevails, but I see the blowhards driving off good jellies and I have to say what the fuck gives you the right to drive someone off because their views don’t match yours? Bullshit.
@Taciturnu Hey welcome back.

There’s an answer with a lot of consistency. :)

word

So is it…

“The best defense is a good offense.” ~Vince Lombardi

or is it….

Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” ~Vince Lombardi

or maybe a bit of both?

My personal opinion is this: When one person becomes defensive they tend to hold their ground tighter. Confirmation bias sets in.

Life isn’t a game. No one wins. It’d sure be nice to share time together, and listen to one another. Maybe the person shouting needs validation or love, not a debate.

Stating an opinion, and supporting a position, are different things.

I’ve yet to see one debate on fluther. There are discussions, and arguments.

But debates have rules of engagement and frameworks for building and supporting a syllogism. Fluther is not a debating environment.

Try here, or here for real online debating.

sometimes silences speak louder than words.

Silence is better than bullshit

@anartist ^One of my favorite quotes.

This has actually been studied. People in groups seem to follow the loudest most outgoing person.

The quality of the idea has no relevance. Even if the material makes no sense. This is one of the shortcomings of group activities, classes, politicians, think tanks who employ only these strategies.

How ever as to saying what you think and dropping the mic, I see the value and admire to a certain extent that quality. But discussions can help me refine or perfect my own beliefs when questioned or might open my mind to others. At which point I say the back and forth is valuable and necessary. No matter how staunch and welllformed a person’s beliefs if they are immovable and not open to others stagnation occurs.

Though one does not have to rejoin the discussion for the brain to keep mulling.. some people just think better outloud or in written form opening it up to criticism and clarity as well as imprinting itself more strongly in the brain.

As to winning especially as pertains to fluther the individual reading the content has the right to decide who is right or wrong if the subject is so simple and clear.

Yes, unfortunately. There’s so many loud persons in this world and sometimes I just don’t have the energy to talk them out. What annoys me even more is when they do not want to listen. I think being unwilling to listen is one of the most stupid things a person can do in this life. That way you’ll never learn anything.

People who are loud just want the attn. Changing minds/opinion is calm communication. Winning is subjective.

I don’t know. People who yell over people, yeah. They think they’re winning.

On here though, since you can’t hear tone, sometimes people are just trying to get others to clarify what they’re saying, but the other just keeps going around and around the bushes avoiding answering. You just gotta give up!

Others think that if they post loooong ass posts it somehow helps their position. To me that’s kind of like yelling.