Counter Arguments-How to Start One and Examples
Counter arguments are a powerful way to refute the opposing party’s argument. To be most effective, they must be planned out in advance and carefully orchestrated. This article will explore some of the ways you can start counterarguments and provide some examples. It is important that these methods are used effectively in order to win people over to your side.
Why use Counterarguments?
Counter arguments are a great way to show the other person that you have done your research on the issue, or at least consider it important enough to do some research. This will let them know immediately that there is another side to the story and make them want to listen because they have never heard an opposing viewpoint. Counter argument shows that you are capable of doing your own thinking. It will also show that you are well-rounded in the topic and have many ways to refute an argument from every direction.
How to Start a Counterargument
What to consider while starting a counterargument
The first thing to consider is the tone of your counterargument. Many people will get angry or defensive when you tell them that they are wrong, so it is important that you keep a polite and professional tone throughout your speech.
The second thing to consider is the order in which you put your arguments. You want to say something that will grab the audience’s attention and let them know that you are a professional speaker, so starting with something interesting is a good idea. This may be humor or an interesting fact from real-life experience. You want to leave the audience wanting more when you are done speaking.
The third thing to consider is how effective your research was for this speech. Did you do enough research to know that you are arguing the point correctly? If you have done your research, then it is a good idea to start with an “I believe” statement. This lets the audience know that you are confident in what you are talking about and gives a more professional tone to your speech.
If you do not feel comfortable starting with an “I believe” statement, then it is a good idea to start with a fact or a quote from an expert in the field. This will give you credibility right off the bat and may even be something you have heard before. You want to grab your audience’s attention early on so that they are more likely to listen when you start dropping arguments in support of your position.
Examples of Counterarguments
Example 1:
It is important that my boss gives me a raise because he says I work harder than any other employee there.
How to respond: This is not true. I, too, do the same amount of work as everyone else. It is not fair that he gets a raise, and I don’t.
Example 2:
You should stop smoking because it causes cancer in the lungs, heart, and other major organs. There are at least 3,000 chemicals in a cloud of cigarette smoke that have been identified as carcinogenic (cancer-causing) by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
How to respond: This is a good point, but smoking has not been proven to cause cancer. It only increases your chance of getting certain types of cancers by 2-4%. Don’t worry about it unless you smoke at least one pack a day for 20 years or more. Even then, so many other factors cause cancer that you will probably not develop it just from smoking.
Example 3:
The United States should close down its military bases overseas. The best way to keep the peace is not to bully other countries around and act like a police force that protects only one side of an issue.
How to respond: This is an interesting point, but if we do this, then the world will see us as weak, and nobody will respect us. We need to put our military presence in faraway places to protect the interest of our allies and ourselves.
Example 4:
The president is horrible at his job because he has not done anything significant since being elected into office. He never follows through on his promises and treats other countries and their leaders horribly.
How to respond: You are correct, but it is not the president’s fault. Congress must also be equally at blame for anything that goes wrong in this country. Both branches of government make the laws, so they both share in the blame.
Example 5:
We should move to a single-payer healthcare system because it would save billions of dollars and make healthcare more affordable for the average citizen.
How to respond: This is a good point, but that does not mean we should go from one extreme to another. We need something in between the two extremes. Let’s look into the option of universal healthcare so that everybody has access to healthcare and insurance coverage no matter what.
Example 6:
People should be allowed to own guns in schools because it is their God-given right to do so.
How to respond: This is a ridiculous idea and anyone who suggests it should not be listened to. The 2nd amendment only talks about militias, which means the military, not teachers or students with guns. Besides that, schools are supposed to be gun-free zones. They are there for the safety of students so that they can learn properly and not have to worry about being shot at.
Example 7:
America is getting poorer because of the rising cost of living. If you look at the statistics, it has increased in price by 25% since 2007 while wages have only gone up 4%.
How to respond: This is not true. America’s wealth has increased by over 20% since 2007, and its debt levels are much lower than in other countries such as Ireland, England, and Spain.
Why do People Prefer Counterarguments?
There are many reasons why an argument is not accepted or even refuted with another piece of evidence. For instance, the common reason someone will not accept an argument is that they have already made up their minds before listening to you.
Another example is when you make a point, and the other person does not know how to respond. This might be because the information you have given is incorrect, or it may be due to the fact that they don’t know enough about a particular field, such as a foreign policy, to develop their own argument. So, if they do not know a lot, they counter your argument.
Arguments are a common way to communicate your thoughts and ideas, but many students do not know how or why you should refute them when it comes down to it. This article highlights some of the best ways to start an argument, as well as what types of arguments are often refuted with counterarguments. When developing your case for debate, make sure that you consider all these points so that you have a better chance of winning any disagreement.
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