Lesson Well Learned

Earlier this week, my roommate made a comment about the way the Wright Brothers discussed problems with one another. I had no idea what he was talking about, so he went on to explain that at some point in the middle of their discussion, each brother would swap arguments, taking the role of the other brother! I really liked this idea, and thought that it was definitely worth giving some thought.

Lets see what the possible benefits of developing this habit would be…

•     Increase mental flexibility:

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I personally know a lot of really smart people who are so inflexible in their thinking that it’s just infuriating. With these people, if you don’t agree with their opinion, you are wrong. This type of thinking is incredibly closed-minded, and the activity of swapping arguments can be highly useful for eliminating this mentality.

In many cases, the reason a person defends an argument is not simply because they believe it to be true, but because after the argument has begun, it is a case of win-or-lose. The ego gets sucked into the discussion, and the motive changes from searching for the best answer to being the strongest arguer.

When a person flip-flops their perspective such as the Wright brothers were said to have done, the effect of the ego on the argument diminishes to a much more manageable level. This is because, by “changing” opinions, the discussion is no longer about the people debating, because both parties have taken both stances (or more, depending on the number of controversial points). Now, it’s only about the ideas. And that’s the way a productive debate should be! Without so much ego in the way, it’s much easier to be more flexible with your thoughts.

•     Open the mind to new possibilities:

This idea is very similar to the previous. It’s easy to say you understand another person’s point of view without ever taking it, but ask yourself “do I really comprehend what they’re trying to say?”. Chances are you wont even notice that you’re missing something until you seriously try to see things from the other perspective.

By forcing yourself to take the side which you were initially opposing, you also force yourself to see it in a different light. Instead of looking only for the cons and trying to poke holes in the argument, you are now required to see the good as well. By trading places in a debate, each party gets to experience each position - that way, the entire group can make a more informed decision, all members having seen each side of the discussion for themselves.

•     Improve debating ability:

What better practice could you ask for than to debate the opposite perspective of your own? In reality, to win a debate, it is not necessary to possess the best idea. It’s not even necessary to possess a good idea! Many arguments are won simply because one person has significantly more practice at disputing points than the other.

Any argument can be made to seem brilliant. On the other hand, the same argument can be made to seem idiotic. It all depends on the portrayal - the key is knowing how to properly depict your own stance, as well as your opponent’s.

As a purposefully ridiculous example, lets say I like to drink paint. I could say, and I’m sure that almost all of you will agree, that paint tastes bad, is harmful, and there are no benefits to ingesting it. Or, I could explain that taste is subjective, and say I actually like it. I could go on to explain that it does no more damage than alcohol, which is quite popular, and the minerals in it actually improve my health. Also, the paint is non-toxic, so it’s really doing more good than harm.

See how perfectly acceptable statements can be made for each side of such a ridiculously one-sided argument? This skill can be very helpful in many situations, such as explaining to a company why you’d be the best candidate to hire, or trying to complete a business proposal. Lawyers use this way of thinking at a highly advanced level to protect their clients - proof that it’s a powerful skill. These are merely a few examples of the uses of having skill as a debater; there are countless more in everyday life scenarios.

•     Overall…

I think the Wright Brothers were onto something profound. Practicing to argue any point, especially one you do not fully believe in, can prove to be a powerfully mind opening experience.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 22:09 and is filed under Productivity and Motivation, Mental Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.