The principle of charity

Arguments should aim at finding the truth, not winning the fight. This means we should be charitable to people we’re in conversation with by trying to find as much sense in their thinking as we can.

The basic idea behind the principle of charity is thinking well of people. Those we’re debating are intelligent and unlikely to be advancing stupid or illogical ideas. When a charitable listener hears something that doesn’t make sense to them, they will try to work out what was really meant. ― Ethics Explainer: The principle of charity - The Ethics Centre