My take is that no, you can’t change someone else’s mind. Only they can. And a debate won’t do it except maybe in exceptional circumstances, like where they’re already very close to doing so and choose to initiate a debate hoping to be convinced. Also, as the adage says, you can’t argue someone out of a position they weren’t argued into.
That said, in my experience, if you choose the right people, with whom you have the right kind of relationships, you can plant seeds that occasionally grow into mind changes over time. You can help people who want to learn more to become the kind of person that can think more effectively.
My take is that no, you can’t change someone else’s mind. Only they can. And a debate won’t do it except maybe in exceptional circumstances, like where they’re already very close to doing so and choose to initiate a debate hoping to be convinced. Also, as the adage says, you can’t argue someone out of a position they weren’t argued into.
That said, in my experience, if you choose the right people, with whom you have the right kind of relationships, you can plant seeds that occasionally grow into mind changes over time. You can help people who want to learn more to become the kind of person that can think more effectively.