Arguing Makes you Smarter

Some people love to argue.  For them, a day without a heated disagreement is like a day without sunshine.  Personally, I'm not a big fan - but I have done my share.  I would rather not delve into verbal fisticuffs if I can help it, but maybe that's why there are so many folks that are smarter than me.  That's right, according to science - the more you argue, the smarter you are.

According to the BBC's How to Disagree: A Beginners Guide to Having Better Arguments - the way to higher intelligence is through disagreement.  The way an argument makes your mind either try to see things from another point of view or figure another way of explaining your simple point to someone to stupid to get it forces your brain to think in different ways.  That process forges new neural pathways, which makes your brain work more good (or something).

Arguments make you compare your ideas to other ideas, which can refine your and make it better.  They can boost your ego (when you win), and even cement your status among co-workers and friends as the most righteous.  On the flip side of this, you've got folks who only communicate with those that agree with them.  Once you fall into that trap, you start sounding like an idiot.  Don't believe me?  Check out some of the political stuff on Facebook.