Steelman before you strike

Beat the strongest version of their argument, or you haven't beaten anything.

A strawman is easy to knock down and convinces nobody who matters. Restate their point in the form its smartest defender would accept — then answer that. It disarms them, it makes you look fair to everyone watching, and it forces you to actually understand what you're arguing against.

Instead of

So you basically want open borders and no rules.

Try

So your worry is that services can't absorb people faster than they're funded — is that fair? Then here's where I'd push back…

Try it today

In one disagreement today, say their case back to them until they say 'yes, exactly' — then reply.

The science

Rapoport's rules for criticism, popularised by Daniel Dennett (Intuition Pumps, 2013): restate the position so well your opponent says 'thanks, I wish I'd put it that way' — before you rebut.

Where you'd actually use it

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Knowing it and doing it are different skills.

FlowTalk drops you into the argument where "steelman before you strike" is the thing that saves you — and judges what you actually said.

Make your case — free