How to Solve Any Argument Using Your iPhone
Okay, so maybe you won't be able to solve every argument you have with your iPhone, but if you find yourself having a debate with friends about some indisputable historical fact, guess what? You might be able to settle the argument then and there!
That's just one of the perks of having what is essentially a portable computer like the iPhone with you whenever you go out to dinner or simply hang around your home or apartment.
The key to using your iPhone to solve an argument is using it as a way to look up the facts, not necessarily to find opinions that match your own. This means you'll want to use the iPhone - and the virtually unlimited resources its Internet access makes available to you - to supplement your points, not to make them.
With that in mind, let's take a look at a few strategies that can help you solve an argument using the iPhone.
Fact-based and trivial arguments
If your argument is over who played the character of Norm on the TV show "Cheers," then it won't take you very long to bring out your iPhone and look up the answer to your simple question. You may even find that many people have asked the same question of popular search engines like Google, and you will probably end up with an answer very quickly. This kind of argument is so easy to solve with your iPhone that it's almost not worth arguing - all it requires is a quick look-up.
But sometimes the answers to fact-based debates might not be so "mainstream." For instance, you might find yourself arguing about a scientific principle, or a little-known fact from a historical figure's biography that is very hard to verify. When this is the case, you'll want to dig even deeper. Apps might even be available to help you. A program like Articles for iPhone might be able to help point you in the direction of the proper source for your assertions.
When you're having a trivial, fact-based argument, remember that it's as easy to prove yourself wrong as it is to prove yourself right. It may be better to look up the answer to a question before you bring it up, simply to avoid looking like a doofus. If you use technology the right way, you can always avoid being wrong in these types of arguments.
Finer points and philosophical debates
Sometimes, your arguments will go a little deeper beyond the trivial and enter the world where opinion and fact both come in to play. If you're having a philosophical debate, for example, about morality, then you will want to use your iPhone as a source. You can't enter in a deep, philosophical question into your iPhone and expect a solid answer.
The nature of philosophical debates means that you'll generally only be able to find definitive answers to smaller questions: for instance, while you will have difficulty arguing about "I think therefore I am," you will at least be able to find the facts about the life of René Descartes.
But there are other difficult arguments aside from philosophical debates. If you find yourself having a debate that is focused on your opinions - such as the merits of a political figure - then you'll also want to be sure to use your iPhone wisely. Sometimes, this may simply mean to use it sparingly.
The iPhone can make for a great encyclopedic source of knowledge, but not every debate is simply about knowledge. If you want to use your iPhone to help you solve arguments, make sure that you have an idea of the question before you seek out the answer.
