Separate the Argument from the Source.

You might find, as most of us do, that when you’re arguing with someone you start to feel frustrated with them or combative with them or irritated by them and that can make it especially hard to rationally consider what they’re saying.  

So one trick that I’ve found particularly useful is to take the words that you hear them say and imagine those words coming from the mouth of someone who you like and feel positively about and trust and ask yourself how you would react to that exact same argument, but coming from a person who you don’t have that negative affect towards.  That can help you consider the argument on its own merits instead of being tainted by your current feelings towards the person making it.

60 Second Reads is recorded in Big Think’s studio.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.