| Name and Number of Dirty Trick | Decision-making Leading to Use | How You Would Detect the Trick | How You Might Counter the Trick |
| #5 Appeal to fear | When the manipulator is trying to represent themselves as protectors of the people against threats (even when not possible) | I would be able to detect this trick when authorities say certain groups are dangerous. | My counter for this trick would be by acting and sounding that I have no fear on what the manipulator says. |
| #6 Appeal to pity (or sympathy) | When people do not want to take responsibility for their actions. | I would be able to detect this trick by seeing how people feel sorry for themselves and try to gain sympathy. | My counter for this trick would be that I understand their situation, but that gives them no excuse to take responsibility. |
| #8 Appeal to tradition or faith (“the tried and true”) | When the manipulator is implying that the opponent will destroy these traditions and faith. | I would be able to detect this trick by seeing how they manipulate their faith and values. | My counter for this trick would be staying true to my beliefs. |
| #10 Attack the person (and not the argument) | When the opponent is making reasonable arguments, the manipulator ignores those arguments and instead finds a way to attack the opponent personally. | I would be able to detect this trick by observing/listening to the manipulator’s name-calling of the opponent. | My counter for this trick would be ignoring the name-calling and focusing on the reasonable argument. |
| #11 Beg the question | When the manipulator is trying to “prove” a point he will assume it in the first place. | I would be able to detect this trick by paying close attention to the words the manipulator uses when they are articulating “facts”. | My counter for this trick would be by researching the topic and not believing what the manipulator says are “facts”. |
| #12 Call for perfection (demand impossible conditions) | When the manipulator has no intention whatsoever to allow X to happen he will use this kind of maneuver. | I would be able to detect this trick byobserving the impossible conditions set by the manipulator. | My counter for this trick would be by stating the conditions are impossible to meet. |
| #17 Create a straw man | When a manipulator is trying to make their opponent look bad at the same time they are making their case look good. | I would be able to detect this trick byrecognizing the way the manipulator twists the opponent’s words to make them look bad. | My counter for this trick would be reemphasizing my reasoning and the meaning behind it. |
| #18 Deny or defend inconsistencies | When the manipulator is caught in a contradiction. They will try to deny or defend the contradiction. | I would be able to detect this trick by paying close attention when the manipulator is caught in a contradiction they will say “I didn’t really say that!” or “The world is changing, and we must change with it” | My counter for this trick would be by calling out the manipulator’s contradictions and inconsistencies by bringing them to the surface. |
| #19 Demonize their side, sanitize yours | The manipulator will use “good” words to characterize their side but use “negative” words for their opponent. | I would be able to detect this trick by listening to the positive and negative words behind the real motives of the manipulator. | My counter for this trick would be by questioning the real motives and if they put what they say to practice. |
| #20 Evade questions, gracefully | When the manipulator is facing questions from an audience. | I would be able to detect this trick byobserving how the manipulator does not answer the direct question and uses jokes to evade it. | My counter for this trick would be to ask the question again to make sure the manipulator stays on topic. |
| #23 Ignore the evidence | When the manipulator is trying to avoid having to consider his own mind because it threatens his belief system or vested interests. | I would be able to detect this trick by acknowledging how the manipulator ignores evidence when it attacks their beliefs. | My counter for this trick would be by providing enough evidence to prove a point. |
| #25 Attack evidence (that undermines your case) | When manipulators cannot successfully dodge consideration of evidence that does not support their case. | I would be able to detect this trick byconsidering the evidence that is being attacked by the manipulator. | My counter for this trick would be by proving the evidence is in fact real and the manipulator is only attacking the evidence since it undermines their case. |
| #27 Use the hard-cruel-world argument (to justify doing what is usually considered unethical) | When someone does something considered unethical they will try and justify by saying “It’s a hard-cruel world” | I would be able to detect this trick when a manipulator makes it seem we are being forced into a situation we wish we could avoid. | My counter for this trick would be to confront the manipulator and give a different opinion that is ethical and possible. |
| #30 Make your opponent look ridiculous (“lost in the laugh”) | When the manipulator sees a view threatening they will use a good joke to get the audience to laugh at the opponent’s view. | I would be able to detect this trick by seeing if the manipulator is trying to make their opponent look ridiculous. | My counter for this trick would be laughing with the manipulator and just brushing it off. |
| #33 Rewrite history (have it your way) | When the manipulator is telling a story about the past they will feel free to distort the past in whatever ways they believe they can get away with. | I would be able to detect this trick by looking up the “fact” and checking if it is accurate with history. | My counter for this trick would be researching the topic and the history of the topic to make sure all the facts are true and not distorted. |