Beyond Straw Men

A straw man is when you weaken your opponent's argument to make it easier to defeat. A steel man is the opposite: you strengthen it. You present the best possible version of their position before you respond. It feels backward, but it is the move that wins.

Steel-manning is the hallmark of intellectual integrity. When you can describe your opponent's position so well that they say "yes, that is exactly what I mean," you have proven you understand the issue deeply enough to have a real opinion about it.