first of all, great contest, and i will take part in both sub-contests let's say. I will upload the post during the next 2 days though, note that there might be similarities with what i am about to write now so you may find it a bit boring!

The book that changed my life and still helps me a lot consciously and unconsciously, which is why i consider it life-changing, is called The Art of Always Being Right by the one and only Arthur Schopenhauer.

Now this book is pretty much about the art of persuasive argumentation like a guide if you wish, with a collection of different debate formulas based on what Schopenhauer knew, saw and read. Note that we are talking about 1891, not 2023 something that makes the book even greater.

i received that book when i was 19-20 years old i think as a gift for my birthday. I have already read it at least 4-5 times and i always tend to forget something or earn something new. I have created bookmarks for parts that consider important and that i need to remind myself. In general, at first glance, it might seem as a book that it can help you gain the upper hand in debates which it can definitely help you with, but that's not only it.

When we are younger we tend to act mostly based on our emotions, can be manipulated way easier by others and in general can be here and there regarding our friends and family. This book helped me in so many different aspects that defined my life and keep doing so. Except for the fact that as i mentioned a while ago, i can win some debates a bit more easily and in general argue better than others i can also understand when others are trying to use these methods on me or us (as people).

I mentioned when i started this comment that this book is so much more than it seems and that is was written in 1891. The fascinating thing is that these different techniques that were used back then for the purpose of winning arguments and manipulating the masses are still happening today, exactly using the same techniques by many people like most politicians for example. I can pretty much identify some of these techniques when coming out of them and can easily understand what type of people are. The same applies to others as well but the point is that with the knowledge i received from this book i can understand when someone is trying to manipulate me and in general only thinking for himself and not let's say the common good for example.

Let me give you some examples that you might have faced in your lives as well:

1. Make Your Opponent Angry: Even if you are completely right if someone manages to make you angry by provoking you even with false statements, you may end up with cloudy judgment and say something you don't mean. Even if you try to explain yourself in the eyes of the audience based on your impulse and how you reacted you will be deemed in the wrong, even if your opponent said countless illogical things before you.

2. Interrupt: How common is it that you watch let's say a panel with 3-4 different candidates for the upcoming elections. Mostly they will interrupt each other and you may thing what the hell is wrong with these people. Sometimes the reason they are doing it, is not because they can't have a civilize talk, but when someone uses an argument that will most likely make them look bad in the eyes of the audience they will interrupt, dispute, and divert in order to avoid "defeat".

3. Appeal to Authority: Ah this is one of my favorites and quite common as well. Except for the fact the people change the meaning or the words of an authority something that i can see to be commonly used by politicians is the following. Let's say that a statistical authority that is very well-known says that the income of the country has increased 20% in 2023. The political will use it for his benefit. At the same time though the same authority may have published another graph that shows that the actual income adding the inflation has dropped 25% in 2023. Do you see where i am getting at?

I will further analyze it in my post, but in conclusion, this book made me enhance my persuasive skills, appreciate the magnificence of philosophers, and realize that we people haven't changed as much as we like to believe or say and above everything made me develop critical thinking. Reading books can make us believe in ourselves, be more romantic, use our imagination, get out of stressful or toxic situations, start dreaming again and so on. That doesn't mean though that we won't fall victim to toxic behavior, lose our way, get manipulated etc etc. If we develop critical thinking, especially at a young age, we can manage not only to make our lives better but to make the whole world better even if that sounds like another utopia in some book. We would identify for instance people that are trying to manipulate us and cast them aside.

Thus, by developing critical thinking and all the above i mentioned, i managed to build relations with people who most likely will never betray me, and would be there for me, i managed to easily spot others that many want to harm me or my family and friends and in general, my life is a bit more relaxing, with more love and close to no toxicity around me!

i just hope if anyone reads the whole thing, to not tire or bore you!

Favorite quote: “there are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?" Arthur Schopenhauer