These days you often hear the phrase “facts don’t care about your feelings.” The point is that the truth is the truth, and whether you want to believe it or not, the facts don’t lie. But in the realm of debate, it’s not so simple. Anyone who’s ever tried to change a friend’s mind and gotten nowhere has learned this all too well. You might have all your facts in hand, an argument that’s unassailable—and make no dent at all. People are stubborn, and wary, and reactive, and bored, and overconfident, and afraid of change—all at once.
