Unpopular opinion: I used to just laugh at flat earth stuff, but after spending 6 months actually talking to a believer in my D&D group, I realized my old way of just shutting down the conversation was making me part of the problem.

Now I start by asking 'what evidence would actually change your mind on this one point,' which sounds simple but totally flipped the script for me during our last session, so has anyone else found a specific question that actually opens up a debate instead of shutting it down?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_jenkins1mo ago

Nice, that's a really smart way to frame it. It forces the other person to actually define their own rules for evidence, which is where a lot of these talks fall apart. Suddenly you're not just arguing about facts, but about how we even decide what's true.

oscarb711mo ago

Exactly, and @evan_jenkins you nailed why it works. My problem is I can never remember that move in the moment. I get stuck trying to prove my point with perfect facts while they're playing a whole different game. Next thing I know, I'm five links deep trying to find a study to prove the sky is blue. Makes you realize most arguments are less about being right and more about agreeing on how to even check.