Mind & EverydayMental model
The opposite of a straw man – and why it makes you smarter.
Steelmanning means stating the opposing view in its strongest form – so well that the other side says “yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” Only then do you respond. It guards against three mistakes: you fight real arguments rather than convenient ones, you discover where you yourself are wrong, and your counterpart actually listens.
Useful: Before your next debate, state the best version of the other side in two sentences.
Source: en.wikipedia.org