> "you want to get the other person's central viewpoint out in the open, naked and unafraid, so that there is no ambiguity when you make your case" Related: yo

> "you want to get the other person's central viewpoint out in the open, naked and unafraid, so that there is no ambiguity when you make your case" Related: you want to face the other person's central viewpoint in its strongest form ("strongest" in the sense of being the best or most compelling variant, not necessarily the variant which has the most supporters or the most vocal supporters.) This is in both sides' best interest, provided both are honest in their motivations. If someone believes something that's not true, but you only "take down" a misrepresentation of their false belief, you haven't actually helped them, because they know you didn't answer their actual position. It may even strengthen their false belief, because they now have the experience of someone claiming to be able to criticize their position but failing to do so, which they may generalize to "critics of this position have no real argument". And if someone believes something that is true, but you are able to show a misrepresentation or a weaker formulation of it is false, you haven't done yourself any good. You've missed an opportunity to learn something true, by distracting yourself with a superficially similar position that you can dismiss.