Techniques to learn from Ben Shapiro

SuperMatt

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I’m sure you’re all big fans here. 🙃 Still some helpful things to learn.


I think the video above is worthless unless you want some tips for your high school debate team.

First, if somebody gets upset at you, it doesn’t mean you are “winning” the debate. You could just be a jerk.

Ben’s debating style is about sounding smart and appearing to win an argument. If pissing everybody off and acting smug is what you’re going for, then I guess his style is good? And it convinces a LOT of people who are intellectually lazy. They see his debate tricks as detailed in the above video, and assume he’s just right about everything.

When Ben faces off with somebody that sees through his bullshit, he is sad and pathetic. There is no substance, and at some point in life, people have moved beyond winning with your 9th grade debate team.

Sounding smart seems to be what the narrator wants to do, and that is Shapiro’s wheelhouse… sounding smart, especially to people with little or no knowledge about the topic being discussed. I see similarities between him and some famous Christian apologists such as Ravi Zacharias. If you are clueless, you can watch Ravi and by the end of his talk, you could be convinced he is right. It’s effective, but it‘s really just a magic show. When you look closer, you can see through the barely-concealed stage props and see these techniques for the tricks they are.

Here’s Ben talking to somebody who isn’t buying his BS. Shapiro has a total meltdown.



I appreciate you sharing the video… it kind of shows you how Shapiro’s shtick is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

However, the guy narrating the video really comes across as a douchebag who wishes he was Ben Shapiro. His other YouTube videos seem to be about projecting false confidence to get hot girls to like you….? Hmmm…
 

Thomas Veil

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Ben Shapiro's a jerk.

A few weeks ago he was a guest on Real Time along with Malcolm Nance. Shapiro has a habit of talking fast so he can dominate a conversation.

At one point Nance began to say that Republicans are doing just what the Nazis did.

Shapiro practically fell off his chair jumping on that. "Me? You're lecturing me about the holocaust??"

Nance was able to quickly interject that Republicans practice the Big Lie. Shapiro looked like an idiot for flying off the handle like that.
 

SuperMatt

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Let's see you if you miss the points with this one


I see the point now. I need to pay $600 for his online course so I can be just as charismatic as the guy making the videos. It’s called “Charisma University” - not to be confused with the actual university of the same name in Turks and Caico.


I can be awesome now! My boss will give me a huge raise, famous TV stars will go on dates with me, and I will probably become a billionaire!
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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I see the point now. I need to pay $600 for his online course so I can be just as charismatic as the guy making the videos. It’s called “Charisma University” - not to be confused with the actual university of the same name in Turks and Caico.


I can be awesome now! My boss will give me a huge raise, famous TV stars will go on dates with me, and I will probably become a billionaire!

Are you having a bad day?
 
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User.45

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I see the point now. I need to pay $600 for his online course so I can be just as charismatic as the guy making the videos. It’s called “Charisma University” - not to be confused with the actual university of the same name in Turks and Caico.


I can be awesome now! My boss will give me a huge raise, famous TV stars will go on dates with me, and I will probably become a billionaire!
Cheaper than Scientology though.
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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Please tell me you've posted this ironically...

Nope. The channel has lots of examples of how people interact, persuade people, or how they turn them off. Sorry it includes people some don’t like. The irony in this thread is people just jumping to conclusions based on the video I posted.

Thought some people might find it interesting in a know your enemy type way or, even better, know how to better communicate with people you don’t agree with. I see lots of examples on the internet of people not doing what works that just results in endless circular arguments.
 

Hrafn

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Nope. The channel has lots of examples of how people interact, persuade people, or how they turn them off. Sorry it includes people some don’t like. The irony in this thread is people just jumping to conclusions based on the video I posted.

Thought some people might find it interesting in a know your enemy type way or, even better, know how to better communicate with people you don’t agree with. I see lots of examples on the internet of people not doing what works that just results in endless circular arguments.
You understand that Ben Shapiro is an ass of the highest order? Yes or No?
 

SuperMatt

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Nope. The channel has lots of examples of how people interact, persuade people, or how they turn them off. Sorry it includes people some don’t like. The irony in this thread is people just jumping to conclusions based on the video I posted.

Thought some people might find it interesting in a know your enemy type way or, even better, know how to better communicate with people you don’t agree with. I see lots of examples on the internet of people not doing what works that just results in endless circular arguments.
My main issue is with the guy actually making the videos. He talks really fast and seems like a snake-oil salesman. Using Shapiro as an example of what to do or not do in a debate could be interesting. However, I don’t really agree with the takeaways of this self-proclaimed “charisma expert.”

I do appreciate you sharing, and I’m not ragging on you. I just don’t like or agree with the guy making the videos.

 

Hrafn

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Nope. The channel has lots of examples of how people interact, persuade people, or how they turn them off. Sorry it includes people some don’t like. The irony in this thread is people just jumping to conclusions based on the video I posted.

Thought some people might find it interesting in a know your enemy type way or, even better, know how to better communicate with people you don’t agree with. I see lots of examples on the internet of people not doing what works that just results in endless circular arguments.
Come join us at the original Biosphere. You might learn something. As a biospherian. With no training. Or Scientific background. We might smoke weed, though. In the Biodome.

I'm really not trying to twit you, but please, don't be like this.
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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My main issue is with the guy actually making the videos. He talks really fast and seems like a snake-oil salesman. Using Shapiro as an example of what to do or not do in a debate could be interesting. However, I don’t really agree with the takeaways of this self-proclaimed “charisma expert.”

I do appreciate you sharing, and I’m not ragging on you. I just don’t like or agree with the guy making the videos.



I didn’t just happen across the channel down a YouTube rabbit hole. I heard them on a progressive podcast I frequently listen to and very little of it had to do with their paid service. Like me, you might have appreciated it more in that context than finding YouTube videos that also promote thier paid courses, which admittedly would have put me on the skeptical side too.

They also show people we would agree with but I think that’s less interesting here or at least not really open for a discussion.yes, Obama was a great speaker. /thread. There is a science to how people like Shapiro and Trump gain followers and it’s not just all those people are hate filled morons. Some are, sure, but not all. There’s plenty of people who share their views but have zero followers.

I think the second video is actually helpful. I don’t think it’s possible to shame people out of existence but that seems to be the preferred view by many. I think that’s just going to lead to more violence.
 

Hrafn

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I didn’t just happen across the channel down a YouTube rabbit hole. I heard them on a progressive podcast I frequently listen to and very little of it had to do with their paid service. Like me, you might have appreciated it more in that context than finding YouTube videos that also promote thier paid courses, which admittedly would have put me on the skeptical side too.

They also show people we would agree with but I think that’s less interesting here or at least not really open for a discussion.yes, Obama was a great speaker. /thread. There is a science to how people like Shapiro and Trump gain followers and it’s not just all those people are hate filled morons. Some are, sure, but not all. There’s plenty of people who share their views but have zero followers.

I think the second video is actually helpful. I don’t think it’s possible to shame people out of existence but that seems to be the preferred view by many. I think that’s just going to lead to more violence.
Dude? Just...Dude?
 

Thomas Veil

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I’ll take a position halfway between sides here.

Look, I said Shapiro an idiot and I meant it. Even gave a good example.

But the fact is, he makes himself sound persuasive using verbal manipulation. So does much of the rest of the GOP, it’s just that Shapiro is one of their better practitioners.

Those of us on the left don’t seem to be nearly as skilled in using this kind of manipulation to win arguments. When was the last time you heard someone tell a conspiracy theorist that his conspiracy is just what they (meaning Republicans) want you to believe? Probably never.

Yeah, it’s all mind games, but the Republicans are so good at it and the Democrats…not so much.
 
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But the fact is, he makes himself sound persuasive [to some] using verbal manipulation.
FTFY. What annoys me here is that Ben Shapiro doesn't sound smart, and the main system these orators/debaters have is never ever playing defense. That's it. Full stop. Throw a whatabout, try to use an intentionally misinterpreted quote from the proponent of the opposing opinion and talk talk talk talk as fast as you can.

This may appeal to people who don't like self inspection, and well, we know that a sadly large proportion of the society lacks insight.
So to underline this, what is it that I should learn from people whose strength is actually their lack of insight? And I'm not talking about right vs. left. I'm talking about people to whom BS's BS impresses as "smart" or convincing.
 

SuperMatt

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I’ll take a position halfway between sides here.

Look, I said Shapiro an idiot and I meant it. Even gave a good example.

But the fact is, he makes himself sound persuasive using verbal manipulation. So does much of the rest of the GOP, it’s just that Shapiro is one of their better practitioners.

Those of us on the left don’t seem to be nearly as skilled in using this kind of manipulation to win arguments. When was the last time you heard someone tell a conspiracy theorist that his conspiracy is just what they (meaning Republicans) want you to believe? Probably never.

Yeah, it’s all mind games, but the Republicans are so good at it and the Democrats…not so much.
People with college educations might be less likely to fall for the tricks of Shapiro and his ilk. I don’t have proof of that, but education level is a pretty good predictor of voting behavior.

In 2016, 72% of white men without a college degree voted for Trump.

 
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