I would like to
know G.K. Chesterton's secret, how he could debate with such men as
George Bernard Shaw, and disagree in such a way as to criticize ideas
without alienating the man. How does one learn how to do this? How
can I learn to take an idea, analyze it thoroughly, and criticize its
weak points, while still elevating the dignity of my opponent? I'm
beginning to hate that word, opponent, as I become more and more
aware of its singular negativity. I've noticed recently that it must
be human-nature to see anyone who disagrees with one as an enemy to
be crushed, and I wonder if therein lies the problem? Why is it so
difficult to disagree as friends, with the purpose of sharpening one
another, instead of seeking rhetorical annihilation? I would very
much like to develop such a skill.
The desire to do
so, at least that is a place to start. My Dad seems to do this well,
somehow managing to make opponents into friends. Our egos are
generally so fragile that we tend to take contradiction personally. A
shame it is, a shame. or—A shame, it is a shame.
No comments:
Post a Comment