The Eddie Haskell Ploy: My Favorite Way to Teach the Art of Concession

The Roman rhetoricians were big on concessio, the art of using an opponent's points to your own advantage. 

It's a hard thing for younger arguers to learn. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, right? Best defense is an offense, right? But what if you can turn those torpedoes around? 

The most extreme form of concession is what I call the Eddie Haskell Ploy. Instead of just using the opponent's points, you enthusiastically endorse her view! Why would you want to do this? Well, that depends on what you want to get out of the argument. Scoring on points isn't always the best goal. In the long run, a relationship or political standing or reputation might be more important.

Caution: Only use the Eddie Haskell Ploy if you're bound to lose anyway. You can only snatch this kind of victory from the jaws of defeat.

Here's a video on how it's used. -Jay