Do you remember that time you were having a conversation with someone, and when you disagreed with something you just kept quiet or mildly agreed? Maybe you didn't want to offend the person or start a conflict because it was "their opinion", and you didn't want to mess with it. Perhaps you assumed that any argument you could make contrary to their beliefs would be futile and only result in hurt feelings, so you just kept your mouth shut and awkwardly tried to change the subject.
If you can relate to this situation, it may be because you struggle to distinguish a person's opinion from his or her identity; this is one of the most critical flaws in modern rhetoric. We tend to make the false assumption that an individual's opinion is woven deeply into one's self, so that the two are one and the same. This assumption leads to two roadblocks that stand in the way of effective communication. First, one may choose not to disagree with someone to avoid offending the person. After all, if that individual's opinion is intimately bound to his or her identity, than any contradiction could upset or irritate the person. Second, this belief may lead one to believe that any argument will be utterly useless and ineffective; you can't change who someone is.
However, if we view opinions as ancient rhetors did, we see that they can be changed. Indeed, using the appropriate appeals to change another's opinion is one of the primary goals of rhetoric. Ancient rhetors thought opinions were of great value because they were communal beliefs, but that didn't make them unyielding truths that characterized each individual's personality. Rather, opinions could be swayed through the persuasive techniques of rhetoric.
In order to reestablish effective communication that solves problems and seeks answers in the modern world, society must return to this ancient perspective by learning to distinguish between opinion and identity; only then will people learn to speak out when they disagree.
I think this topic is really relevant because all of us have been lead to believe that opinions are what make a person who he is. I really liked this topic because I agree that we should be able to disagree and discuss without worrying about offending or angering someone. It really seems like you have a good understanding of the topic. Good job!
ReplyDeleteIn America today, I believe that people are so worried about "political correctness" and try so hard to avoid being offense that important issues become very difficult to discuss. I agree very much with your statement that we should learn to distinguish between opinion and identity, which will lead to productive discussion and will allow people to more easily voice their opinions.
ReplyDeleteYou gave a really lovely viewpoint of this concept. I can relate to the feeling you discussed in your first chapter, but I never though of why I would feel that way. I definitely think that gaining the ability to distinguish ones opinion from their individual self will allow people to speak more freely.
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