Blog Post 1

Dear Blog,

Today I watched a very interesting lecture by Sheryl Sandberg about the importance of politeness in persuasive speech. It is very insightful, and I must admit I agree with a lot of what she says. She invites us to think about how important it is to be honest about what you believe in a debate while also being considerate of the fact that everybody else has their own beliefs, and you need to accept that you may not be able to change someone’s mind. She also speaks about how people need to consider how they present their arguments because regardless of whether you are right or wrong, nobody will feel compelled to agree with a person that uses vulgar language, speaks harshly, or raises their voice when presented with a counterargument. I believe there is one very important topic about arguments that she did not cover when it comes to persuading others: I believe that a person should enter every argument willing to change their own opinions or point of view, and willing to admit they are wrong. Nothing productive can come from a debate if everybody enters it fully convinced that they are right and unwilling to change their stance. I believe that there is too much focus on how to win a debate when debates shouldn’t be about winning, but rather finding the truth or the best solution out of a combined set of ideas.