True hope dwells on the possible,
even when life seems to be a plot
written by someone who wants to see
how much adversity we can overcome.
True hope responds to the real world,
to real life;
it is an active effort.
-Walter Anderson

Some arguments won't lead anywhere.

If your arguments or those of your partner are wildly off-base, irrelevant, or unrelated to reality, then the discussion will have to stop. It will then have to become focused (possibly by a moderator), in order for it to have any meaning. The specific focus will have to be based on the goals of the discussion.

Similarly, the discussion will fail if your opponent refuses to stick to facts. He may choose this tactic for various reasons:

• He may have difficulty accepting the truth
• He may be denying the truth
• He may want to gain the upper hand by making accusations
• He may want to stall for time by shifting the direction of an uncomfortable discussion
• He may want to try a crafty trick