Despite my best efforts, I sometimes find myself in protracted and unproductive internet arguments. These distress me greatly, and seem to distress me more and more as I get older and (I hope) wiser. In a way, they've become even more distressing since I started haunting Less Wrong, because my default approach to online discussion has become a lot more collaborative, and I'm less psychologically prepared when someone starts sabotaging the exchange in order to "win".

I've realised that part of the reason they distress me is my habit of mentally dissecting the last thing I was writing about. If I write an essay on the Steiner Ratio Conjecture, it's likely I'll be dwelling on both the Steiner Ratio Conjecture and my presentation of it for the next day or two. In a similar fashion, if I get into an exchange with someone furiously and convolutedly backtracking all over what they're trying to say, I'll be dwelling on my own sanity and comprehension skills for the next day or two.

Simple solution: write an essay after having an argument.