5 writing tips for avoiding controversy

Thursday, June 19, 2008

By special request, here are my expert tips for avoiding the devil's advocate effect:

First, a distinction:

Arguing: Asserting your own opinion
Advocating: Representing an opinion (not necessarily yours)

People only feel a need to advocate when the arguer makes no allowance for the possibility they've overlooked something or that there could be another side.

For Example, let's take a statement that's closed-ended, and puts even agreeable readers uncomfortable or defensive, and rework it step-by-step:

"John McCain's retarded. Period."

1. Use specifics

"John McCain's retarded [environmental strategy is absolutely, completely absurd]. Period."

2. Remove all adverbs. Writers recommend this in general because they are over-used and place unnecessary emphasis on the adjective.

"John McCain's retarded environmental strategy is absolutely, completely absurd. Period."

3. Remove or replace insulting words and phrases.

"John McCain's retarded environmental strategy is absurd ineffective. Period."

4. Acknowledge the possibility of other opinions. This has the added benefit of letting you save face if you missed something. Embarrassment can lead quickly to hostility.

"[I personally believe that ]John McCain's environmental strategy is ineffective. Period. Thoughts?"

and such as the iraq ;)

5. Back it up.

"I believe that John McCain's environmental strategy is ineffective[, because history has shown that the sale of quotas creates a corporate black market, further encouraging corruption]. Thoughts?"

As you can see, by acknowledging the opinions of others, and providing intelligent support for your own opinions, a reader is less likely to feel defensive, and will reply with the same respect and intelligence you gave them, lest they look like the closed-minded ones.