The Art of a Good Argument

One of the only constants in society is the human race’s tendency to argue. Everybody is bound disagree with someone at some point in their life, and these disagreements may even turn into arguments, however, it’s how these arguments transpire, that is important. When disagreements arise between two irresponsible arguers, it is possible that the outcome of this disagreement may be violent or hurtful, however, when one learns how to argue responsibly, they may actually come to learn something from their adversary.

Although “arguing responsibly” may seem like an easy enough task, it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of this state of mind once in an actual argument. One first must be able to keep a level head and not let their emotions get the best of them when met with someone who disagrees with them. If one is able to keep their emotions at bay, then they are able to reason with their opponent. Hearing the opposing side and reasoning with an opponent is a necessary step in arguing responsibly. If one truly listens to their opponent’s thoughts on a subject, it may open their eyes to possibilities and factors they hadn’t considered previously. Even if one still disagrees with the point the other is trying to make after it is better explained, the two arguers are likely to reach a “agree to disagree” point, which is still a better alternative to throwing punches or saying something hurtful.

Another point that people often seem to forget when in an argument is to have an open mind. Although this is a general statement, sometimes people need to be reminded of these general points before they can be taught the smaller details of arguing responsibly. When there is a disagreement, one needs to remember that not everyone has come from the same background or had the same experiences as them, and to keep an open mind because of this. People's opinions are often shaped by prior experiences and to not listen to their point of view makes one seem arrogant and careless. While this may not seem to matter when you’re in the middle of an argument, invalidating people’s prior experiences, or the opinions they’ve based off of them, may be the reason you receive a punch in the jaw. 

Arguing in a healthy and responsible way takes practice, as does anything else, but by taking small steps towards a better method of arguing, you are more likely to have a better experience overall when it comes to disagreements. Maybe you’ll even gain some knowledge from your opponent, instead of a black eye.