Timmy Burns

I think it is one of the most important characteristics of a person to know when to stand your ground and fight for something that you truly believe in. A close second is to know when to keep your mouth shut and exercise tact in a situation that would not benefit from the verbalization of your disagreement with a subject.

Of course, in the event that you must disagree, there are some rules of engagement.

• Assess your audience. If you're talking to a friend of a friend, you can be as blunt and straight forward as you need to be to beat him into submission. However, if you're talking to your Aunt, you need to show a little more respect.

• Try to avoid personal insults. I feel like this should be obvious, but there is nothing more classless than trying to win a debate by calling someone else names or attacking their personal life. However, if your opponent crosses this line, then all bets are off. Try to show some regard, however, and if you word it carefully enough others might not even pick up on what you've said.

• Outsmart your opponent. There is nothing I like better than walking someone into a verbal trap by using convoluted language.

These rules apply when you truly believe that something being discussed is important enough to you to share your input.

However, recently I've crossed paths with someone who doesn't truly believe what they're arguing about. They're just regurgitating what they've been told their whole lives. They've never questioned it, it just gets spit back up when the time is right.

These are my favorite types of debates, because rather than focusing on the subject at hand, you can simply scrutinize the other person about why they feel the way they do. 99% of the time they have absolutely no idea why they think what they think is right and you're a clear victor before the debate even happens.

The sweetest part about these types of conversations, is that the other person will get so upset that their ignorance has just been exploited, that they'll start coming at you with personal attacks. At this point, it's best to stay nimble and avoid personally attacking them back. Remember, you've already won before this began and now they're giving you a shot to embarrass them further.

I've been a serious asshole in the past. I know it's part of who I am, but I control it and I try to walk a thin line to where it's more humorous then offending. Lately, it's been working pretty well. It's important to be able to pick your battles wisely, because they all inevitably relate to one another.

Remember who you are and what you believe in, but always be willing to listen to an alternative idea. Don't come out guns blazing when it's not what you think. That other idea might be something you relate to more closely then your current set. The ability to mold multiple points of view and opinions into something that is unique to yourself is, I think, what wisdom truly is. No one knows everything, but the wise know that everyone knows something, and they extract it.