Monday; February 24


          What happens when we win our arguments?  We spend a lot of time and energy trying to learn how to be persuasive and compelling, but how do we act when we get the better of other people?  Sure, it is nice to be able to advance our cause, but unless we deal appropriately with those we overcome, our victory will be shallow at best and antagonistic at worst.
          When we come out on top of a discussion, let’s take the time to do a few things:
1.  We should be gracious in victory.  Just because we successfully defend our position doesn’t mean that the other person was necessarily wrong, much less a bad person.  When we get our way, we mustn’t gloat or belittle the opposition.
2.  We should acknowledge the good points in their logic.  Rarely is there a discussion in which one person is completely right and the other is completely wrong.  By reinforcing their accuracies, we might be able to help them not only avoid losing face, but enable them to build a solid foundation for their future beliefs.
3.  We should incorporate the other person in trying to achieve our outcome.  Just because we have a more logical argument doesn’t mean that the other person can’t help us carry out our accomplishments.  It might be as simple as acknowledging their participation in the debate that helped us formulate our opinion or as encouraging as asking them to implement our strategy, but let’s not alienate them from a process that can make people better or more knowledgeable.
          Think About It!

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