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Card #c1039IR // #c1039Synthesis

"I was charm'd with it, adopted it, dropt my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer and doubter." "at last he grew ridiculously cautious, and would hardly answer me the most common question, without asking first, 'What do you intend to infer from that?'"

— In our words · Source: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Benjamin Franklin)

[Use when]

Your questions keep winning arguments and people have started refusing to answer them.

[Why it matters]

The Socratic method won him "victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved." Keimer's caution shows the cost: once people see the trap, they stop answering. He kept the modest manner and dropped the trap.

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