Love to Argue - A classroom argument is like martial arts practice
The verb "to argue" has two main meanings in English. In everyday speech, when you argue with someone about something, you are having a fight. These arguments are often angry. In a school , you argue "something," an interpretation or a point of view. Arguments are not angry. An argument is simply the information that supports an idea. You need to become skillful at presenting ideas in a convincing way. You need to become skillful at this kind of arguing.
While academic argument is not angry, it is still aggressive in that it challenges people to defend their ideas, and this causes problems for some students. They do not wish to embarrass their friends or insult their teachers by pointing out flaws of thinking. I agree that kindness and consideration of others is important in situations based on cooperation but not in situations based on competition.
I hope when you are competing against your friends in a sport, for example, that you do your best to win the game while you play and that you can still be friends afterward no matter who wins. Imagine if you and your friend both wanted to be good at tennis, but because you are friends, you both hit the ball gently and right to each other's strong side. Neither of you would improve much and you would get creamed in your first match against a real opponent. You help each other prepare for a match by competing as hard as you can during practice. If you think of arguments as a form of competitive thinking practice, you will understand how to be a good friend by arguing as hard as you can.
With teachers, the situation seems different, but the reasons you should challenge their ideas is similar. When I was younger, I studied fencing. I practiced drills every day. Finally, my teacher invited me to spar with him. I was supposed to attack him to the best of my ability but I hesitated because he was not wearing a face mask. I didn't want to poke his eye out by accident. When he understood my concern, he laughed at me, asking me if I thought he was so weak that a beginner could surprise him? He would have thrown out any student of his who ignored the risk and crossed foils without a mask, but I quickly learned by facing him that day that he was not being foolhardy with me. He was simply so much better than I was that I could not have touched him but I was supposed to try to the best of my ability. This idea of sparring applies to ideas. You must give your teachers your best efforts. They will not fight back with all their strength, but rather spar in such a way to improve on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses..The day my fencing master finally started wearing a mask to spar with me marked my graduation to a new level. I was not longer a beginner. This is where you must aim in classroom argument, for the day your teachers argue back in earnest.
So while argument is aggressive, it is a friendly and playful aggression. I suggest you think of it more like a martial art where the preparation involves practice fighting. Don't pull your punches. Develop your argumentative "muscles" and you will find all of your work, from test to papers to presentations will be winners.
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College Success - Academic Success Tipsby MakingCollegeCount402 views
Great video!
MarcusKiner 3 months ago