Friday's Class

Friday's class was particularly interesting. The reason is that, personally, I am very interested in the intricacies of argument and persuasion. Many people believe that by making a logical argument, they have swayed someone to their side; after all, it is logical. The arguer needs to understand that many people don't want to change their minds. It's not a pleasant thing to change your mind, especially about deeply held beliefs on personal topics, because it entails admitting you were wrong. Most people don't like admitting that they were wrong, especially when they see the person they are arguing against as an "enemy" or someone who has no empathy to their position. Think about it from your perspective, would you admit you were wrong to someone you don't particularly like, someone who undercut you with an argument and made no attempt to reconcile your feeling in the debate? In most cases, you will say no. This has incredible implications for persuasion, however. The arguer who is empathetic and able to reconcile the oppositions feelings, as well as look after their interests while attacking their position, can make great moves as far as getting others to come to their side.