Logical Argument and Disagreement

I just finished having a discussion with my friend Patrick about the best way to convey one’s beliefs. Patrick said that he tried to subtly influence people to see things his way. A person would “see the light,” once they taught themselves the idea he was trying to present. It’s a polite way convey a lesson to someone to whom you are subordinate, an idea form Dale Carnegie. That’s great if you are surrounded by people with the same opinions as yourself, but what if you encounter someone who genuinely disagrees with your beliefs? In that case, the only way to make a person agree that your beliefs are true is to disprove at least one of their beliefs. How can a person do this when adding a phrase like “in my opinion,” or “from my perspective,” to everything they say? These are common phrases which my teacher, Lucas Mather, thinks are used to save a friendship from an argument. Saying “in my opinion,” undermines the truth in one’s beliefs. If an argument is not based on truth it has little strength and it will not stand up in the face of opposing opinions. This is what the speaker in the Symposium refers to when he says “you may think that I am a failure, and that’s ok, I know you’re one.” A belief should be defended as if it is true and discarded if it isn’t.