The Secret to Successfully Arguing Topics Like Gun Control and January 6th
Image courtesy of Johan Hahn
Disagreement can feel uncomfortable, especially as conversations about the Jan 6th insurrection, gun control, and abortion capture public attention.
But instead of descending into a full-blown freakout whenever you disagree with someone, Bo Seo has some advice for turning these conversations into learning opportunities.
Bo is a writer, two-time world champion debater, and author of Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard. In this episode, he offers tips for those seeking a productive debate—even when you’re dealing with ignorant people or alternative facts. He also talks about the importance of disagreement, especially at a time when viewpoints seem so polarized, and offers some real-life examples we can turn to for debate inspiration.
Highlights:
[5:10-5:27] “My elementary school teacher promised me that in debate when you speak, no one else does. And to someone who was used to being talked over and spun out and interrupted, that seemed to me a kind of mercy—kind of a chance at salvation.”
[7:54-8:05] “Disagreement can be really revealing, intimate, and as a result of that, a kind of revelatory way for us to engage with one another.”
[29:56-30:11] “Part of the urgency of needing to engage in conversations at this moment in the way in which information spreads and people organize is making sure that we're still making the case for truth.”
[37:05-37:28] “When you're sitting across the table from someone, in order to fully appreciate them for who they are and their ideas for what they are, you need to sometimes set aside all these kinds of other affiliations for a moment and try and listen to what this particular person is saying. And to see that person as them and not just another Republican or not just another Democrat.”
Thanks for listening!
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