For future controversial discussion
- Locked due to inactivity on Jul 4, '22 3:54am
Thread Topic: For future controversial discussion
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Ive see a lot of heated debates going on as of late and I wanted to give some perspective on it.
If you have a controversial idea you should really consider approaching it from a conversational point of view,
not an argumentative one.
Be open to learning and understanding the contrary point of view. If your argument is really all that sound it will stand up to criticism. If you're just sharing your opinion for the sake of sharing it and it's not benefiting anyone, consider why you feel the need to express it at all. Why spread negativity just for the sake of spreading negativity?
Other people's life choices don't affect you so you're allowed to disagree with it, but ultimately it's not your life and it's not hurting you so don't hurt other people by s---ting on them.
Here's some examples of healthy and unhealthy dialogue:
Dysfunctional arguments will typically include:
-cutting people off
-resorting to insults
-broad generalizations
-confirmation bias
-not taking the time to understand opponents points of view
-invalidating people based off of stereotypes
-using absolute statements
Remember that hardly anything in life is absolute. Most things are a spectrum and the odds are you'll change your opinions many times throughout your life. If you leave an conversation feeling charged and not inspired then you probably weren't in it to actually educate or learn, you were just there to achieve grandiose which is unproductive and potentially harmful to all parties.
Healthy debates will often include:
-Focusing on the issue, problem, or behavior, not the person.
-Assuming the other person has good intentions and wants a positive outcome.
-Acknowledging and naming personal emotions and feelings.
-More questioning and probing and less telling and lecturing.
-Clarifying by seeking more information and clearing up points of confusion.
-Reconciling opposing points of view, linking similar ideas, and looking for common ground.
I think that dialogue is important and if you feel nervous to express yourself then that's a problem for me! As long as you're not actively spreading hate or misinformation you should feel comfortable talking about things that might be controversial.
Almost any idea can be discussed in a way that's not harmful or negative to the people involved. You just need to consider your words, what exactly you're trying to accomplish from sharing your point of view, and how it might affect those around you. -
Hopefully that makes sense! I'm pretty tired but wanted to help educate for future events without actively fueling any fires. I for once certainly have plenty of ideas I'm sure are open to scrutiny. It's all about how you approach sharing those ideas. I always try to make sure my end result is enlightenment for both parties and not hostility. I genuinely believe if one point of view was entirely correct we wouldn't debated everything so heavily. There is truth to everything. Two sides to every coin.
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Thank you!! If I'm allowed, I'd like to add that resorting to name-calling, insults, and aggression will NOT help prove your point. It'll just make the person more defensive and people will see that you're losing your cool and won't think you can have a calm debate. People will listen better if you're calm about it and not aggressive ^^
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