Tactic
Columbo
Ask questions until the claim has to carry its own weight.
How
- Stay curious. The person who makes a claim owns the burden of proof.
- Do not take the bait when they flip the burden back onto you.
- Clarify meaning first, then ask for reasons, then offer an alternative.
Questions to keep in your pocket
- What do you mean by that?
- How did you come to that conclusion?
- What would you need to see to reconsider?
- Have you ever considered…?
In the wild
A professor says, ‘The Bible is a bunch of fairy tales.’
‘How did you come to that conclusion?’ If he answers, ‘Prove it is the Word of God,’ reply, ‘You made a claim. I want to know your evidence for that.’
Questions are not a trick to humiliate. They are how you understand a person and keep the conversation honest.