- Arguing is an essential part of what it means to be human
- Humans are not naturally adept at arguments
- Our beliefs guide and determine our behavior
	- Others care how we behave
- If beliefs lead to behavior, then controlling beliefs means controlling behaviors
- Argumentative skills are self defensive
- Diverting attention away from reasons makes those reasons easier to accept
- Making opponents of a belief "The Enemy" is another way to make a belief easier to accept
- Manipulation of beliefs can generally be categorized as diverting manipulation and distorting manipulation
- Everyone aims to be in possession of the truth
- Knowing why you believe a certain way is important, perhaps more important than the beliefs themselves.
- Cognitive success is being correct, cognitive command is understanding why
- Cognitive command doesn't necessarily guarantee correctness, but it enables one to rationally correct themselves
- Pushback helps develop more complete understanding
- When you only interact with people that agree with you, your beliefs become more extreme.
- Deliberative democracy is healthy
- Democracy relies on the ability to undo change, ala "we make changes and learn from them as we approach the ideal"
- Everyone believes that they haven't been duped.