Mastodawn

Mr. Funk E. Dude 🍑💨Aug 31, 2018

When challenging someone's perspective stop and ask yourself these questions...

1) What do I understand about the others perspective?
2) What do I understand about my own perspective?
3) Could I be wrong?
4) What do I want the other to understand about my perspective?
5) What do I want the other to understand about their own perspective?

If you find yourself skipping the first three, you're not really trying to have a discussion and may want to check your ego.

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josemanuel Apr 13, 2019

@[email protected] I disagree. Skipping the first three questions (at least at the beginning) is the basis of the dialectical method, by which, through a reasoned discussion, a conclusion can be reached from two opposing arguments.

Asking oneself those questions (especially the third one) would often lead to inaction, and nobody would learn anything.

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Mr. Funk E. Dude 🍑💨Apr 13, 2019

@josemanuel you're assuming both parties are interested in learning anything. The checklist is an internal one to determine one's bias before a discussion takes place.

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josemanuel Apr 13, 2019

@[email protected]

you're assuming both parties are interested in learning anything.
Shouldn't we always assume that? It seems to me pretty cynical (and I don't mean of you, of course, but in general) to think that other people post stuff publicly just for the likes.

Whenever I publish something, I'm always hoping for a dialogue that ultimately improves on what I'd written. And that was my assumption when I replied to you.

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Mr. Funk E. Dude 🍑💨

@josemanuel often people argue on social media not to try to understand, but to persuade. I caution against this type of thinking because I believe it leads to more division. Persuasion is good, but it needs to be balanced with understanding.