Principle of charity

In philosophy and rhetoric, the principle of charity or charitable interpretation requires interpreting a speaker’s statements in the most rational way possible and, in the case of any argument, considering its best, strongest possible interpretation.

This is super well said, from PD20: Developing reasoned conclusions is not a competition. You do not get points for engaging in arguments simply for the sake of arguing. So do not be that person who goes out of their way to correct the mistakes of others, particularly if you have—like everyone else—a penchant for overlooking your own mistakes. Demand rigour from yourself before you demand it of others.

The principle of charity is simple. Interpret what others say generously and give them the benefit of the doubt. This does not mean accepting sloppy thinking, but it does mean acknowledging that people sometimes misspeak and make easily correctable mistakes. The principle of charity counsels us not to score cheap points when correcting others. Instead, graciously make space for them to correct their mistakes, and whatever you do, do not mock them. When you need to point out the mistakes of others, you will find that your feedback will be better received if you take a collegial tone.

So don’t try to highlight their Logical Fallacy every 2 seconds, unless it’s really core to their argument.