h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A friend on my course at uni argues with anything I say... and even some things I don't. She'll argue until she's blue in the face, and usually still argues when she finds out she's wromg (which is 9 times out of 10). This is most definitely a habit, as it seems she just disagrees with me without even thinking about it. She's not even any good at arguing- she just uses 'arguments' such as 'because it is' and 'it just is'. She gets incredibly tetchy when she can't swing me around to her (usually false) point of view, and ends up storming off and/or having a major hissy fit.

Any cures for this would be gratefully recieved.


From the recipient's point of view, I have the perfect defence- switch off- we walk back the same way, so we usually walk back together, having the same lectures etc, and I find I can get back to my house and I haven't heard a single word she's said.

TK

Cure.

Don't talk to her. She sounds like a waste of skin.

Are you sure she's your "friend"?

DMT

She's O.k when she's not arguing or moaning about exams. Plus she's better than I am at our course and she helps me with my coursework.

TK

If I know someone is a contrarian like that, the funniest thing is to pretend to hold the oppposite point of view to the one you actually do, and then listen to them defend what you actually, secretly agree with.

It might sound sadistic, but it can be entertaining. Not heard of this curing anyone, though.

Lol, I try that one occasionally, but then she accuses me of admitting I'm wrong....

Can't win!

TK

Ah....I hate that! There's very little defence there...

I don't agree. I think you are wrong - no, I know you are wrong. I am right, or else I am more right than you. You will allways be wrong - or wronger than me.

Lucy, is that you?!?!

TK

Convince her to join debating. Resort to flattery if necessary. There are a couple of possible outcomes:

a) she gets absolutely squashed by an experienced debator who has no patience for her nonsense

b) she finds out she's terrible at it and THAT squashes her

c) she finds out that there's a difference between babbling agressively and having a conversation or even an arguement of actual value and that thought and listening come into it

d) she's entirely sucked into the cult and can barely come up for air and studying let alone pestering you with unneccesary conversation, (she's got to save her strength for the touraments after all).

Good luck!