There are certain "rules to fighting fair in arguments" - some of them were discovered by the Ancient Greeks, taught in the subject they called Rhetoric, others along the way thru history. If you like to fight fair, or at least be aware when someone is fighting dirty, then I recommend that you seek out this knowledge.

Logic as a subject is useful, and I once believed that everyone should be taught this at school. It is useful to know things like "ad hominen" - attacking the person instead of the argument - a nice example used against me here recently I could point you to if you asked :-) and others things like tautologies, etc.

But the first thing to remember, and I should put this in the traditional sayings thread, is to remember sage sayings like "count to ten", etc. In other words, don't just jump in: stop, analyse, think, etc.

"Ensure brain is in gear before mouth is in motion"

Easy advice to give, but not always to remember... :-)

Of course, for some people it is the arguinmg that gives their rush - viz the "Monthy Pyton Argument Sketch"

Robin