WHY I ALWAYS PLAY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE!

The pros

Playing devil’s advocate allows me to see why someone acts, believes, or thinks a certain way. It opens my mind to consider how my side may be incorrect, correct, or just a different view than the other individual. How to do this is very simple, you pretend that you align with the other side of the argument and think of how you would argue that side. Additionally, you should deep dive into why you may think that way and what purpose does their argument serve.

It is easier said than done.

When it comes to whether the Star Wars prequels vs. the sequels is better, you may have trouble due to the amount of passion you have for the subject. Still, do your best to push all those strong nerd emotions aside so you can see their position. Putting yourself in other individuals’ shoes will enlighten you. When you play “devil’s advocate” you can gain a lot of information and insight into the other side of the argument.

Certain topics are more difficult to see the other side when they are strongly backed by facts or if you feel strongly about that subject. With controversial topics like abortion, politics, or global warming, you will have a hard time rooting for the other side. It is important to understand that playing devil’s advocate does not mean you agree with the individual but that you are willing to see their side to understand them better. A big topic these recent months is racism, but it is not okay to be a racist. No “ifs”, “and”, or “butts” about it!

The way to get someone to understand that cannot be done by calling them ignorant or small-minded. You need to acknowledge how they got to that conclusion and why they believe they are correct. Then you can understand why they feel that way and educate them efficiently that racism is awful and why it does not make sense, especially today. Often pushing too strongly on a topic that someone has had a strong opinion on will result in them feeling even more passionate about their side. Giving these individuals directed and specific reasons that match their argument makes it harder for them to not see your side. 

Try it!

You’ll begin to see why they felt so strongly and be able to either use that to support your side, decide that you align more with them, or come to the conclusion that you just have different views that are right in their own ways.

This is useful for not only nerdy movie arguments, but politics, work conflicts, customer service positions, and any other disagreements. As I stated previously, there are some topics that there is only one right view but playing devil’s advocate will allow you to understand why someone else thinks their opinion is the only right one.

#devilsadvocate