Discussion 101

Let me start by saying that overall there's a pretty good crowd here on Newsvine. In the brief time I've been here I've seen a lot of thoughtful, intelligent comments on all sides of any given issue, and a lot of you probably know how refreshing that is. That being said, though, there are a few people here and there (as there are in any crowd) that really could use a bit of brushing up on conversational skills. So, here goes!

1. If you state an opinion, be sure to label it as such. Trying to present an opinion as a fact just takes away from your argument. "Gays shouldn't be allowed to marry" is an opinion, not a fact. "The first amendment to the constitution guarantees the separation of church and state" is a fact, not an opinion. Why? Because the first is not objectively provable, while the second is.

2. On a similar note, everyone has opinions. If you expect anyone to respect yours, respect theirs. Agreement is actually irrelevant for the purposes of discussion. Since logically you can't argue an opinion, why try to? If I say "I really like oranges" there is no possible way to prove or disprove that statement, and arguing about it is a waste of time and energy (although sometimes it is really, really funny).

3. Speaking of facts, if you state a fact or an interpretation of a fact it always, always helps to list sources... it helps others see where you're coming from, and helps them judge your argument. For example, if I say that Superman was divinely inspired because in issue 57 he predicted the return of Lex Luthor, and lo! in issue 210 Lex Luthor does in fact return, most people aren't going to take that seriously. If you feel your argument isn't strong enough to support listing sources you probably shouldn't be making it.

4. Believe it or not, most people willing to discuss something with you will probably be pretty impressed with reason. Try to use it as much as possible. I mean reason in the sense of rationality. Nothing more needs to be said here.

5. Anger will never, ever be a useful support for an argument. All it does is show the world (or at least the audience) that you're not in control, and therefore probably don't have anything useful to say. Anger works in professional wrestling but rarely in real life, so keep your cool and discuss instead of ranting.

6. Always remember that, at least here on Newsvine, there is a permanent record of what is said and by whom. Keep that in mind when trying the "I didn't say that" or the "You didn't say that" gambits.

7. "You're stupid," "you're gay," "because the bible says so," and all other statements of that nature aren't going to help your case any. You'd think this would be common sense, but sadly it's not; what it does is show that a) you're unable to think for yourself, b) you're not worth listening to, c) you skipped your meds this morning, or d) any combination of the above. However it works, it's not a way to get yourself taken seriously.

8. Unless you're in a padded room writing letters to your invisible friends with crayon, conversations generally involve people (note the plural) listening as much as speaking. Without both it's not really a conversation, is it? So listen to what others have to say, and think about it before responding. If someone punches holes in your argument and you don't respond (or even worse, respond with the type of comment listed above), what do you think that says about your argument?

9. Don't be fixated on being right all the time, because that's never going to happen. Period. I myself have an ego big enough to have its own zip code, but that doesn't change the fact that sometimes I'm wrong, sometimes I misspeak, sometimes I misunderstand, and sometimes I flat don't know what the hell I'm talking about. The same goes for everyone else.

10. Ultimately we're all just giving our opinions, albeit opinions based to a greater or lesser degree on independent analysis of available facts. That being the case, don't expect to actually win any of these arguments. Present your argument, support as much as you can, and debate the whole lot. At the end of the day you won't convince anyone else to abandon their own beliefs, but who knows? You may sway someone who was undecided, or give someone else information that he or she didn't have before. I'd call either one a win.

Well, that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hopefully someone somewhere finds something of value in it... I'd call that a win.