A common tactic people will use when debating politics (or really any subject that may be uncomfortable to them) is to respond to your points with some variation of the phrase “That’s not what I’m saying.” They might phrase it as “I wasn’t saying that” or “That’s not what I mean” or “I didn’t say that.”
This tactic serves three purposes:
1. It absolves them of the responsibility to actually respond to your point. If you’re making an argument that is hard for them to counter, then they’ll put themselves into a position where they’re not required to do so.
2. It gaslights you into being the one who is unable to understand their points. If you don’t understand what they’re trying to say, then obviously your responses are invalid.
3. It allows them to transform the argument into one of semantics instead of substance. No matter what words you use, they will never be the correct ones. With every point you make, they’ll simply return to “That’s not what I’m saying.”
Learn and practice the Socratic Method to avoid and defeat this debate tactic.
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