Those of us who don’t agree with most views associated with liberals can take comfort in a simple but reliable method of gauging how factually correct one’s divergent opinion may be.

For the most part, liberals don’t defend their beliefs with fact or reason but with opinion and emotional rhetoric. When someone says something that challenges a belief held by liberals, their response is often ad hominem, insults, denial without facts or sources, sarcasm, claims to the high moral ground, and a wide array of responses that do everything but actually refute the challenge in a meaningful way.

If the first response by a liberal is emotional or sarcastic, this is a good sign. If it’s followed by a slur about one’s character or intelligence, it’s even better. During all this, liberals will rarely provide actual, i.e., accurate, information in support of their argument.

What information they use to support their opinion will often be in the form of frequently-repeated but easily disproved statistics, “studies” that never actually took place or had their conclusions misrepresented, or “historical” events that never happened, and other spurious forms of misinformation. Often it’s a fraudulent argument made by a leftist organization that consists of half-truths and outright lies but has been repeated so frequently that it’s accepted as true by uncritical thinkers.

People who argue leftist arguments most frequently go directly to the personal attack. Never fall into the trap of defending one’s self. You lose the very moment you let them change the subject. Stick to the argument. If it becomes ad hominem, turn it back to facts, not personalities.

Never let the argument escalate into emotional debate. If you can’t support an argument without becoming emotional or engaging in name calling, the argument has no substance.

Keep pointing out where the other person’s argument fails to provide actual facts, and provide actual, correct information in the place of misinformation. Remind them frequently that if they have to make the argument personal, they have no argument.

The most useful tactic is to use the other person’s inability to keep calm as a shield — smile, be happy, and show that you’re enjoying that person’s lack of self-control because it means they can’t support their argument, and you both know it.

They know they can’t refute your reason with their rhetoric, which will make them all the angrier.