Why We Should Argue More

There is strong social pressure put on individuals to "not argue"

particularly about important things like politics, religion and

ethics. We are pressured not to discuss these subjects because people

may become upset if foundational beliefs are questioned.

But which is worse, becoming upset, or basing one's life on false

precepts. There are several reasons why we have this taboo, and I

hope to address each that I am aware of.

First roadblock is the word "argue" itself. This is a troubling word

with several different meanings. First it means "give reasons or cite

evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the

aim of persuading others to share one's view", this is the definition

I am referring to. The other (perhaps more common definition) is

"exchange or express diverging or opposite views, typically in a

heated or angry way." In other words, to verbally battle.

If we use a more verbally neutral word, for instance "discuss" rather

than "argue," the objections don't, however, go away. It seems to me

that we each have two competing social needs that vary from individual

to individual. One is a need to share our beliefs with others, and

another is the need to blend in and just get along. Different

cultures may encourage one more than the other, but all have strong

taboos that favor and encourage the latter need.

It is my belief that these taboos arose out of the need for "unit

cohesion" amongst the small bands of hunter gatherers. Where survival

required all the members to act together without delays while

individuals debated the relative strengths of one course of action

over another.

Indeed those organisations that most restrict individual opinion and

debate today are those military and paramilitary organisations where

quick cooperative action can make the difference in life and death.

However, outside of a few unusual circumstances, we do not need to

make those sacrifices in our daily lives. In fact, I argue we would

be better served to encourage open argument about all subjects.

Argument benefits us in 2 ways, First it helps us to see errors in our

understanding and therefor create a more accurate model

with which to base our decisions on. Having a flawed model of

political systems, the universe, or ethics can have profound negative

effects on decision making. Second it helps us to flesh out our

current understanding of our own beliefs. Someone's opposing beliefs

may help us to better understand our own beliefs by putting them to

the test.

So whether You win or loose, you win.