Defusing and Defeating Sophistry

With references to Arthur Schopenhauer’s (1788–1860), 38 Stratagems are excerpts from “The Art of Controversy”, 1st translated into English and published in 1896.

If I agree with you, we’d both be wrong. — Anonymous

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. — Anonymous

Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. — Mark Twain (a.k.a. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910))

1. Carry opponent’s proposition beyond its natural limits; exaggerate it.
The more general your opponent’s statement becomes, the more objections you can find against it. The more restricted and narrow his or her propositions remain, the easier they are to defend by him or her.

Some people have 40 years of experience, some people have the same experience 40 times, some others 40 experiences in a year. — Ursa

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. — Albert Einstein (14 March 1879–18 April 1955)

George Orwell predicted cameras watching us in our homes, but he didn’t predict that we would buy and install them ourselves. — Anonymous

Someone told me half of all car accidents happen within a mile of your house. So I moved. — Anonymous

Counter: Do not let your opponent cut you short, and expose him / her of dishonest truncation, and continue to…