When you are in a heated discussion/debate, and you know you are right, when do you just let it go and walk away? Is it hard for you to do?

"Arguing with a fool proves there are two." - Doris M. Smith

"Don’t argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." - Greg King

"Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." - Mark Twain

If it's just their ignorant, narrow minded opinion, sometimes it's best to just disengage and walk away. As I've learned to do here.

I don't usually debate with anyone because if I think I am right and the other person thinks they are right then whats the point, no one wins.

Chris wrote:

When you are in a heated discussion/debate, and you know you are right, when do you just let it go and walk away? Is it hard for you to do?

Answer: when you are debating with Forgiveness Man and you've reached your fifth or sixth post.

Tony Marino wrote:

I don't usually debate with anyone because if I think I am right and the other person thinks they are right then whats the point, no one wins.

That's if you assume that a debate must always end in a stalemate. But I never make that assumption. I assume one or two things before engaging in a debate. Either A) I'm correct and need to school the other person on things they don't know so that they can re-evaluate their position, or B) I am incorrect and will learn a few things I didn't know before or look at things in a different perspective causing me to re-evaluate my position. Now, once you get to a point in the debate where both members become inflexible in their position, at that point it's time to agree to disagree and then walk away (because it's a no win scenario). Debating "opinion based" topcis often results in a stalement and these generally involved abstract ideas like "religion" and "politics". But people often try to debate "fact based" topics that expose ignorance, fallocies and hypocracy. And the more someone tries to argue against facts (thinking that they know more than you do) the deeper hole they dig for themselves. So even if they refuse to relent, they are loosing the argument because their position was exposed for what it really is...baseless! This includes more verifiable topics like "science", "history", "medicine", etc. The more specific the topic becomes (Religion vs Christianity vs Catholicism) the more fact base the debate becomes. And those are the type of debates where HOPEFULLY the losing person will realize why they are wrong and re-evaluate their position.

Chris wrote:

When you are in a heated discussion/debate, and you know you are right, when do you just let it go and walk away? Is it hard for you to do?

(I think that may be a subliminal message from our fearless leader, Chris, that we need to change the subject already on a few topics that are flying around here, since many viewpoints are out in the open and now we all know where everyone else stands. . . )

I haven't given much honest debate over the net for years. lol I've found most people on internet forums aren't really interested in debate, so I won't be either. I'll save debate for real-world encounters.

When you're going in circles. I'll keep up with the charade for a minute, then I'll let it go.

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

Chris wrote:

When you are in a heated discussion/debate, and you know you are right, when do you just let it go and walk away? Is it hard for you to do?

(I think that may be a subliminal message from our fearless leader, Chris, that we need to change the subject already on a few topics that are flying around here, since many viewpoints are out in the open and now we all know where everyone else stands. . . )

Not at all. I welcome everyone to continue any conversation around here for as long as the two are interested in it.
I will say this, though, if the defensiveness and disagreement of any topic is making anyone bitter, then just go ahead and bow out. Not worth the upset.