My parents' ignoeance and rudeness gets on my tite sometimes, especially with my dad when I am having social debates with him and he then accuses me of being defensive because I am angered by his claims. How do I remain calm?
Try to focus on the issues at hand, that's the most important part of any debate. Remind yourself to stay calm and to keep your focus on the issues, and on presenting a fair, reasonable, and convincing argument. Hope this is helpful.
My father and I will have social debates and debates on world events all the time- we usually leave emotions out of it, but if he believes I am being personal about a topic and says something about it, I will simply point out that I am approaching it in a strictly objective view. In true debate style, counter his accusation with actual proof compared to him going out on a limb. If he accuses you of being defensive of a subject- point out his ignorance (in a polite way) and remind him what the topic is without diverting the attention to yourself.
Try to remember that keeping calm is an essential part of debating or discussing any difficult subject. Once you lose composure, you are (seen as) losing the argument. It's important to pause, breathe and actually let the other person speak, even if they are talking a load of dross. That can be hard, but it shows you at least have a level or courtesy and respect. If you allow someone to have their turn, you can then be quite assertive and insist on them showing you the same level of respect, so forcing them to actually listen to you.
