Remote Work Productivity: Strong Counterarguments
Research-backed objections to the claim that distributed teams are always better for productivity, innovation, and career growth.
Position tested: Remote work is always better than in-office work.
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Counterargument Topic Guides
Challenge your perspectives with research-backed opposing viewpoints. Each guide breaks down a popular stance, then presents the strongest counterarguments with evidence quality signals, uncertainty notes, and reflection questions.
These guides use steel-manning—presenting opposing views in their strongest, most credible form rather than attacking weak straw-man versions. This approach helps you understand different perspectives as deeply as your own, leading to better decisions, stronger arguments, and more nuanced thinking.
Who These Guides Are For
- • Students: Strengthen essays and class discussions with well-researched opposing views
- • Professionals: Stress-test business decisions and strategy assumptions
- • Researchers: Identify weak points in hypotheses before publication
- • Debaters: Prepare for opposing arguments with evidence-backed rebuttals
- • Writers & Journalists: Present balanced perspectives and anticipate counterpoints
Each guide includes peer-reviewed sources, evidence quality assessments, limitation notes, and practical reflection questions you can use in academic work, policy analysis, and professional decision-making.
By Liz Stein • Last updated
Nuclear Energy Safety: Strong Counterarguments
A steel-manned guide to the strongest case against the belief that nuclear energy is inherently too dangerous to include in modern energy policy.
Position tested: Nuclear energy is too dangerous to use at scale.
AI and Jobs: Strong Counterarguments
A balanced guide to the strongest counterarguments to the claim that AI will mainly produce mass permanent unemployment.
Position tested: AI will cause mass permanent unemployment.
How to Use These Guides
- 1. Start with the belief statement and identify your current confidence level.
- 2. Read the strongest objections and note which assumptions are challenged.
- 3. Use the linked chat prompt to pressure-test your position with follow-up questions.