Discredit

The number one weapon of people with no viable argument is to discredit someone. They are unable to address the precise issue head on and stick to that. They aim to discredit the person to win the argument rather than use sound facts or relevant information. This is usually because they don’t have a strong, or any, case.

If this happens, remind the person to remain on topic. You can also remind them that you’d prefer that they not engage in personal attacks or make this personal. If they continue, discontinue the conversation as clearly they are less interested in discussing the point or feel they have lost the argument so they try to drag you down in some form.