Devil's advocate: how to argue a side you don't believe

Where the phrase comes from

How to argue a side you don't believe

1. Steelman it

   A straw man is the weakest version of a side, built to fall over. A steelman is the strongest version, the one its smartest fan would make. Start there. Someone who says decaf is a lie isn't confused about beans. Their point is that coffee exists to deliver caffeine, and decaf is the box with no gift in it. That's a position you can stand on.

2. Find the one reason you can live with

   You don't need to believe the whole side, just one reason in it you'd nod at if someone else said it. Maybe reclining your airplane seat all the way is rude. But you paid for the seat, and the airline put the button there. Build on that and ignore the rest. One reason you half believe beats five you don't.

3. Borrow a real story

   Real opinions come with stories, and a side without one sounds rented. It doesn't have to be your story. Borrow your sister's or your coworker's. "My roommate left a pan to soak for nine days" does more work than any general point about dishes, because now everyone is picturing the pan.

4. Concede small to win big

   Give the other side a point it's right about. "Fine, a picnic is technically eating on the floor." People trust someone who admits a weak spot, and they stop waiting for you to crack. Then move to ground you can hold: sandwiches taste better outside, and there are no dishes.

5. Don't oversell it

   The quickest way to sound fake is to care more than anyone else at the table. If the question is silly, treat it as silly. Give your reason, shrug, and let someone else get worked up. Keeping a straight face is its own skill, and we have bluffing tips for that.

When it helps, and when it's just annoying

Devil's advocate debate topics

Good practice topics are low stakes and a little absurd, with one side that sounds obviously worse. Defending that side is the drill. All of these are from Fuzzy Logic, the free deck in The Lobbyist.

• Is cereal soup?

  • YEA SOUP

    It's solids floating in a liquid, eaten with a spoon from a bowl.

  • NAY NOT SOUP

    Nobody has ever ladled cornflakes out of a pot.

• Are oatmeal raisin cookies a dirty trick?

  • YEA DIRTY TRICK

    They look like chocolate chip from across the room, on purpose.

  • NAY DELICIOUS

    Chewy and warm with cinnamon, they're the best cookie on the tray.

• Is a picnic just eating on the floor, outside?

  • YEA FLOOR FOOD

    You're sitting on the ground fighting ants for a sandwich.

  • NAY CHARMING

    Sun on your face makes a cold sandwich taste like a real meal.

• Is a bath just sitting in your own soup?

  • YEA HUMAN SOUP

    You get clean and then soak in everything you just washed off.

  • NAY RELAXING

    Hot water and a locked door undo a bad day in twenty minutes.

• Is a messy desk a sign of genius?

  • YEA GENIUS

    Einstein's desk was a disaster, so you're in good company.

  • NAY JUST MESSY

    Losing the stapler for a week is not proof of a big brain.

• Is a book you borrowed a year ago yours now?

  • YEA YOURS NOW

    If they wanted it, they'd have asked at least once in a year.

  • NAY GIVE IT BACK

    They think about that book every time they see the gap on the shelf.

• Is sending a four-minute voice message a crime?

  • YEA A CRIME

    You can't skim a voice message, so now you're hunting for headphones.

  • NAY A GIFT

    You get the whole story in their voice, laugh included.

• Is taking three days to text back a power move?

  • YEA POWER MOVE

    Answering instantly tells them you had nothing better to do.

  • NAY JUST MEAN

    They're staring at a phone for three days over a yes or no.

Our debate topics page has more, sorted by subject.

Make it a game

Questions people ask

What does playing devil's advocate mean?

Arguing for a side you don't necessarily believe, to test an idea or see whether the other side holds up. The name comes from an old Catholic Church office whose job was to argue against making someone a saint.

Is playing devil's advocate rude?

It can be. On a silly question it's a game. On something that matters to someone in the room, it's an excuse. Say up front that you're doing it, and drop it if anyone is actually upset.

What are good devil's advocate topics?

Low-stakes questions where a reasonable person could hold either side, like food fights and small points of manners. Skip anything that's really about someone at the table.

Go deeper

• Bluffing tipsKeep a straight face, tell a story that holds, and catch the one who can't.6 min read
• Can your friends tell when you lie?How often real tables catch the liar, and what the lab says.6 min read

Keep reading

• Arguing and lyingBluffing tipsKeep a straight face, tell a story that holds, and catch the one who can't.6 min read
• Questions to argue aboutDebate topics39 questions that split a room, with the case for each side.8 min read
• Questions to argue aboutMoral dilemmasSmall, everyday dilemmas that start better fights than any trolley.5 min read