Dude, Good Point!!

 Hey there! Welcome back! It’s been a hot minute.  Mostly, because we spent two weeks or so on the craziest essay that I have ever written. Have no fear, back to the blogs!

We just finished up a unit on writing analytically in my SUPA Writing 105 class. Now, we move on to argumentative writing. There is a lot that goes into writing for the purpose of an argument.  Heck, there’s a lot that goes into arguing in general.  In this blog, let’s take a step back and dive deep into how we can argue responsibly.  There are so many ways to argue, but it is important to always remember that, especially in this day in age, your words can stay with you forever and you want to make sure that you are saying things that you wouldn’t mind your grandmother, future professors, and future employers hearing.

The most important aspect of arguing responsibly comes down to one word. Respect. It is essential to have respect for both the opposing argument and yourself. You don’t have to agree with the other side.  You don’t even have to fathom the thought of agreeing with what they have to say.  But, in order to execute a responsible argument, you must respect them as a human being and respect their point of view in the sense of giving them the opportunity to defend their stance.  You also need to respect yourself and your point of view. You need to respect yourself and the subject matter enough to represent in an honorable manner.  A manner in which, twenty years from now, you can look back on and be proud of. 

Another important aspect of arguing responsibly is knowing what the heck you are talking about.  Going into an “argument”, whether it be a debate, essay, or just a conversation at the dinner table, it is essential to be well researched and well prepared. This means knowing everything that there is to know on both your subject and the opposition's subject.  Ideally, your job in an argument is to persuade your audience to believe in what you have to say and ultimately, agree with your point of view.  In order to do this, you need to have your facts straight.  It is great to have an opinion, but once you have supported your opinion with true data and factual evidence, now you have put together a constructive argument that others can respect and even admire as well. Nothing can be more detrimental to an argument than false information or a lack of preparation.

A key piece to responsibly arguing, and just having a conversation in general, is listening.  Now, this is a skill that I find myself struggling with often as well, in real life. I feel as though I am extremely personable and I pride myself on my ability to communicate with people.  I feel as though I portray myself in a very mature manner, and that has gotten me very far in my young life. With that, I sometimes lack the skill of listening, and I mean truly listening to what people have to say.  So often, I find myself barely tuned in.  In reality, I am typically thinking of what I am going to say next.  This is especially relevant when I am broadcasting games with my broadcast partners Kyle Marchak and Robert Bateman.  As the play by play guy, I will set them up as my analysts to speak.  One of my biggest strengths is setting them up on a tea, so that they can knock it out of the park.  The problem is, a lot of the time, all of a sudden they’ll be done talking and I will realize that the entire time, I was just thinking of what I wanted to say next rather than truly listening to what they had to say.  There are so many opportunities for constructive conversation on the air if I would just listen, and instead those opportunities are often missed.  This is definitely a skill that I continue to remain conscious of and work on.  It is not easy.  Especially when you have developed certain habits that feel like second nature.  In an argument, listening to the other person’s point of view is essential.  That goes back to the respect factor too. Not only are you giving them your respect as a member of their audience, but you can also develop healthy counterarguments as well, based off of what they have to say.  Overall, it can turn into a true conversation. You might just learn something from them in the process!

Lastly, and probably most importantly, in order to argue responsibly, be confident and be yourself.  You do not need to put on an act.  You do not need to be somebody that you are not.  The most admirable asset that fantastic public speakers hold is confidence and personality.  If you can bring those two things to the table, you have the opportunity to captivate a room.  You also have the opportunity to make the speakers around you better. Stay true to who you are.  Stay true to your preparation. Be you. 

Thank you so much for checking in as always, and I encourage you to put your argumentative skills to the test next time that you have the opportunity. It builds personality and it builds character. There is so much that you can learn from both yourself and the people around you.  

For a little bit more information on arguing responsibly and respectfully, check out these videos!

How To Win An Argument Without Making Enemies

Kid President: How to Disagree