Have you ever actually been persuaded/persuaded someone else in an argument?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I was browsing another message board last night, and found myself engaging in yet another debate about homosexuality and gay marriage.  I argued with one person in particular about the philosophical aspects of the subject, paragraph after paragraph, for about three or four hours straight until he proclaimed that since he wasn't swaying anyone to his side, his time would be better spent sleeping, and ceased replying.  I find it rather common for me to be debating with someone about an issue, but even after plethoras of text walls and hours of sleep gone, neither me or the person on the other side of the issue nudge one bit, and the conversation takes off from there.  Then it is as if all the time and effort from both our parts to persuade the other were, in a way, completely wasted.

So this prompts me to ask- have you ever actually changed your or someone else's opinion on an issue through debating it?

I vote options 3 (the stubborn debater that I am) and 7.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I picked, "Yes, I sometimes change my opinion," and, "Yes, but I almost never sway other people."

For instance, in political debates people have convinced me to change positions before on the issues of abortion, affirmative action, anti-terrorist monitoring, gun control, international trade, multiculturalism, the war in Afghanistan, and progressive taxation. If anything the selection of Option 7 is iffy because I cannot remember an occasion on which I convinced someone else to adopt one of my positions. It's probably occurred at one point or another though. xD

Are you a former neoconservative, Redalgo?