Handling the Concept of Difference: Who Is Right? Who Is Wrong?

 

    Is an argument synonymous with a fight? Is a debate synonymous with a conflict? The short answer is, they're not, but we sure seem to treat it that way. It seems there is a high level of association between differences of opinion or stance on a topic and results that are messy or negative, but in reality, these differences of opinion we encounter with others in our everyday lives open up a path for learning and knowledge, it truly just depends on the way we approach these situations. 

    To me, one of the most important points to consider when looking at the process of participating in an argument is the simple concept of right and wrong. Everyone wants to be right, but no one wants to muster up the courage to admit that just maybe, they were wrong, that maybe, the opinion that held so much passion, held a degree of flaw as well. 

    Arguing In Communities, an article written by Gary Layne Hatch explores the concepts of language, diversity, and the ways in which we respond to difference, basically, the ways in which we argue. Going back to the concepts of being right and being wrong, the author touches on this while discussing arguments in more formal academic settings suggesting "No one has a monopoly on knowledge, and no one is right all of the time" as well as the idea that "...scholars learn to exercise judgement, evaluating and assessing opinions before accepting or rejecting them".

 I found it interesting how throughout the read that the author really makes an effort to take a deeper, more analytical, knowledgeable stance. Rather than solely providing elaboration on how we as humans argue in our communities, Hatch dives deeper into the causation and reasons behind why we even argue in the first place, coming back to the massive underlying idea of difference within groups as large as our world's population, to communities as small as a church or a school. He states, "One way to negotiate difference is to learn to live with it". This was sort of an eye-opening idea for me, because honestly, "living with it" is often my last resort when I find myself in a situation of difference or debate. Maybe I could use some work on the ways in which I argue as well.

    Overall, I think our perspective on the concepts of debate and argument are what presents the issue at hand in the bigger picture. We see difference as an immediate pathway for harsh conflict. We have distorted the idea of learning from each other, and if a new outlook is not achieved, we will be yelling and fighting over simple differences forever, and in that case, none of us will ever truly be right.