The First, and most important point is to attempt to pick the strongest side of the argument.

Having the strength of advocacy on your side is by far the easiest way to win an argument. While most arguments have an easily identifiable winner and loser, some arguments are not so clear. Try to identify these arguments and either stay away, or be very careful about getting into it.

2 Think about the possible arguments for and against your side, and the opposite s ide. If there is any major weakness in your argument, you must fill it before co ming to a confrontation with the opposition, or risk losing the argument. Also t ry to take each argument to its logical conclusion, and identify any major pitfa lls your opponent can step into. A gentle nudge here and there to get them to ma ke some sort of statement that allows you to close the bear trap is psychologica lly damaging and can win an argument on the spot.

3 When in the argument, keep calm, and present your side of the argument in a logi cal manner. When the opposite side brings up a point, always counter this point with something relevant supporting you. This article might help.

4 Always take full advantage of any illogicality or fallacy in your opponent's arg ument. Return any illogical points with as many relevant logical facts as possib le, to completely quash their point. If this is not possible, take their point a nd use it in your favor logically. (e.g, when males grow their hair long in west ern society, 'its not natural' is a common argument for those opposed to it. How

ever, it is more natural than cutting it as hair grows when it is left. Long hai r, by using their argument against them, is completely natural for both genders. )

5 If you point out a mistake that your opponent made, and declare it a logical fal lacy, don't under any circumstances make the same mistake. Your opponent gets a pass because he or she didn't know it was a mistake, you on the other hand are g uilty of knowing what's right and what's wrong. It's a quick way to assassinate your own Ethos or credibility.

6 It's always possible to lose an argument, these tips will greatly reduce the cha nce of losing. However, arguments do sometimes come to standoffs, where no side is stronger than the other and nobody wins or loses. When this happens, learn to leave the argument as nothing can be gained by continuing to confront your oppo nent. When this happens, don't lose control or get desperate.

7 Decide on an emotional aspect of the argument to use as a tool. If you can find a way to make your opponent to "be in their shoes, then in your shoes", and try to have them imagine feeling a particular way which benefits your argument, you can squash opponent's confidence in his/her argument.

Edit Tips Similarly, it is counterproductive to try to argue about emotions ("You shouldn' t feel that way"). Trying to talk people out of their feelings isn't logical; it 's controlling and insensitive. If you know that person, try to pin point their weaknesses. Are they bad at sta ting facts? Make them. This will put them into a losing position. If you can't shake the wish to argue something that is just your opinion, ask y ourself why. Remember you can choose to keep your opinion to yourself, or take p ositive action towards a social or political cause, rather than merely talking y ourself blue in the face. Don't draw everyone you know into endless debates over your pet theory in the hopes that they will deliver a logical fallacy for you t o knock down. This is in itself a complex form of the "straw man" fallacy. Besid es, if you go around arguing all the time, people will avoid you and there will be no one left to argue with. If you have a stand off end with some meaningful question before walking off to have them think about and decide that they're wrong or argue later for you to h ave another chance. Try to admit you are wrong on a point as soon as possible. If you and the oppon ent are equally intelligent and are right about 3 points, but you both spend 10 minutes discussing points where you are wrong (because you move on quickly) and 50 minutes discussing the points where you are right, the opponent will most lik ely look and feel like they have lost. If both members of an argument adhere to this tip, there is the bonus side effect that the argument will also become more productive. Try not to use "weasel words" such as: may, might, should, could. These words l eave a wide open hole in your argument. Other examples include phrases such as: "A growing body of evidence shows that..."(This doesn't prove anything), "Critic s claim..." (what critics, what are their credentials?) "I heard that..." (Who t old you, where is the source?). Although sometimes the use of these words is una voidable, always try to be specific. At any point in the argument smile or laugh, It will make the person even angrie r. Sometimes it helps to partly agree with your opponent. Find something that both of you agree on. For example, "I agree with your stance on X, however, I think y ou don't understand Y. This process makes them more open to convincing. However, never make the mistake of agreeing with them on too many things. Make sure to let the opposite party finish their sentences, and let them know yo u are listening to what they are saying. When you are talking and your opponent tries to interject, try to finish your point without raising your voice or speak ing faster (and definitely don't stop speaking to let your opponent talk!). If t hey don't stop talking and try to make their point right through your speech, po int out that you had the courtesy to let them finish their sentences, and that y ou wish to be treated the same way. You will obviously appear to be the more pol ite and mature party, and that often helps winning your arguments. Think constantly. By not thinking something through entirely before you say or do it often jeopardizes your argument. Do not do anything in the absence of thou ght. Keep control of yourself. Appear calm, even in a heated argument. Don't use har sh language, or succumb to your anger. This will muddle your thinking and hinder your argument. Using 'childish' tactics, such as shouting "Shut Up," will only decrease the cr

edibility of your argument. This will certainly detriment your cause. Don't make the mistake of trying to use logical tactics to argue an opinion, a theory, or something that has no basic in logic. For example, "Men are superior to women" is an opinion; "superior" is a subjective judgment. If you succeed in making the other person angry, it doesn't mean you've won the argument.