Ever watched an argument turn into a tangle of side points and personal digs? It’s easy to lose the plot. Sherlock Holmes had a better approach. He said:

“In solving a problem … the grand thing is to be able to reason backwards.”

He meant to start with what’s known, and work methodically towards the unknown. The same applies to arguments.

Begin with broad points everyone agrees on. Then narrow the focus, one layer at a time, until you reach what’s really at issue. It’s a smarter path through the noise. Make it a great day, dear reader, and reason backwards.