I witness argument-that’s-not-really-argument all the time, but I never really thought about it until reading this chapter.  I’ve gotten angry at my parents and we’ve “argued,” which mainly consists of each of us getting defensive and refusing to back down, sure that we’re right.  We’ve shouted over each other, slammed doors, cut each other off, and the arguments typically get us nowhere—nothing is resolved.  With the election coming up, I’ve also witnessed many political arguments lately that, while not quite as extreme, go along the same lines—both sides talk over one another, neither considers the other side’s perspective, and the end result is the same.  Arguments similar to these are seen everywhere—they’re depicted on television shows and in movies, and I’ve never thought twice about it.  This chapter has made me realize that what I’ve always considered arguing isn’t really arguing at all—at least, not the way ancient teachers of rhetoric viewed it.

Rhetoric was invented to allow people with opposing views to decide whose opinion is the best for a given situation by arguing—however, the listening aspect of the argument has been lost in recent years.  More often than not, “arguments” consist of what happened on Crossfire, with people talking over one another and shouting.  That’s an obvious way to tell whether an argument is theatrical or rhetorically engaged—theatrical arguments, such as on debate shows like Crossfire and reality shows, typically involve the people engaged in the argument talking over and interrupting one another.  Sometimes, as is often the case on reality shows, these arguments turn violent.  When two people are involved in a rhetorically engaged argument, they listen to and consider each other’s position.  Instead of arguing for entertainment purposes, they argue to come to a resolution, and to avoid violence.  Stewart was right in saying that the depiction of arguments today is a negative thing for America—thanks to shows like Crossfire, the term “argument” has negative connotations.  However, arguments are necessary—true, rhetorically engaged arguments, rather than the trash on television.