A reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue
Assault on Reason
I read Al Gore’s book Assault on Reason last fall, and thought, “what better place could there be to have a reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue than on the Amazon posting for Al Gore’s book?’” I tried to get a conversation going. Here’s what I posted to get the ball rolling:
A reasonable dialogue about reasonable dialogue
I've been scanning the posts looking to learn more about reasonable dialog. Some of the posts amounted to "don't believe a thing AG says because Clinton misbehaved." Many posts are well reasoned but not about the topic. How about a reasonable dialog about reasonable dialog? One where a post has to be about reasonable dialog to be rated as moving the discussion forward?The book refers to the rules of discourse and an unspoken duty to search for general agreement. He also refers to the internet as a tool for pursuing the truth through collective reasoning. I'd like to see more of that - and to talk about how to promote it in our own postings.
Most political discussion, including the ones on Amazon, seem more about proving others wrong and "winning" rather than good faith efforts at true communication.
1. How can we encourage rational dialog on discussions such as this?
2. What kind of responses to logical fallacies, misinformation and personal attacks are likely to really move a dialog forward rather than start a fight?
3. How could a discussion group leader (blog owner) set up and manage discussion threads in ways that encourage useful debate, insights and productive commentary?
4. Are there any political discussion groups where people with different opinions exchange ideas rather than attack each other? Where?
5. What did you learn from the book (Assault on Reason), has it changed how you communicate, and if you had been the editor, what would you have added, altered or removed to make it more effective?
I'd love to read your suggestions and to hear what has worked for you. Thanks!
I sat back and waited for my first response, which came two days later. It was from Rick, who observed that reasonable dialogue was elusive because of the Josephs in the world. Joseph replied that it was the Ricks in the world that really were the problem. Apparently I tapped into an ongoing feud. The discussion that ensued consisted of attack, defense and counter-attack and led nowhere. I tried unsuccessfully tried to elevate the conversation.
Ooops
I decided a better place to discuss reasonable dialogue would be on a blog that I moderate according to my own discretion. But before I detail that, I’ll share a realization I had about my own complicity in the continuation of the Amazon diatribe.
Amazon has a function to report abuse. I didn’t use it. Had I used it, I might have been able to stop the feuders from raining on my dialogue parade.
I blew it, and as a result I reinforced my determination to draw clear boundaries around dialogue. Unless those who care about reasonable dialogue do that, what I refer to in Unite and Concur as Aggressions’ Law with rule. Aggressions’ Law is when “Erroneous arguments drown out accurate ones. Unprincipled diatribe drives out reason. She who is most ruthlessly committed to prevail wins, irregardless of the validity of her arguments.”
By not reporting the feud as abuse, I acted powerless and ignored inappropriateness when I could have taken action.
The Unite and Concur blog is for people who are committed enough about returning reason to our political dialogue to take action to make it happen.
Boundaries
Reasonable dialogue requires boundaries – and it requires people who are committed enough to those boundaries to object when someone violates them. Clearly, Rick and Joseph hijacked the discussion I tried to start on Amazon.com. Perhaps there were people who wanted to post and didn’t because Aggressions’ Law overtook the discussion. Perhaps if I had reported the feud as abuse, I would have been able to create a safe environment where we could have exchanged interesting ideas. That didn’t happen, possibly due to my own silence. (I’m not going to report the feud as abuse now, because the page serves a useful purpose to illustrate how dialogue gets derailed.)
I emerge from this humbling experience ever more committed to being an advocate for reasonable dialogue. That commitment is taking the form of this blog. I invite you to join me.
Unite and Concur blog purpose
What’s my Unite and Concur blog all about? Here’s my inaugural description of the Unite and Concur Blog mission.
- Unite and Concur blog is committed to reasonable dialogue about reasonable political dialogue.
- It seeks to educate and inform about what reasonable political dialogue is and isn’t.
- It seeks to establish a higher standard for us to live up to in our political communication.
- It encourages people to advocate for reasonable dialogue.
- It creates awareness of logical fallacies and propaganda tools that confuse the national dialogue.
- It provides support for people faced with divisive political communication.
What have I left out? Please share you ideas.
Joint exploration
I also invite your input regarding the first four questions to my Amazon post, with an emphasis on my third question.
3. How could a discussion group leader (blog owner) set up and manage discussion threads in ways that encourage useful debate, insights and productive commentary?
Help me set guidelines to encourage a reasonable dialogue about reasonable political dialogue.
Here are some starter principles.
Ten Unite and Concur Guidelines:
1. Honor the intent of the blog itself.
Since this blog is about reasonable political dialogue, all posts must contribute to that end. Comments that have a different agenda will not be approved.
2. Comments are based on the principle of: “Say what you mean, and mean what you say, without being mean when you say it.”
This is my ultimate communication formula that strikes a balance of directness and civility.
3. Before responding, reflect on comments by asking yourself the question; “Why would a reasonable person say this?” and, “What can I learn from what they’re saying?”
4. Acknowledge points of agreement before highlighting differences.
5. Question substance and logic, not the person making the point.
6. Clarify meaning and intent before taking issue if someone’s comment seems ill-considered.
7. Focus on solutions more than problems.
8. Report violations.
9. When you use political examples, make them as neutral as possible to avoid distracting from your communication point. (For example, whenever possible, refer to political parties as “The Stars” and “The Stripes” parties, and refer to Politician A and Politician B rather than identifying them specifically.)
10. Focus on solutions rather than problems.
Keep your comments positive and moving forward.
What do you think? Please sign up and post your comments on the blog.
This is an experiment that I’m sure will evolve as it progresses. Please join in and help me and those of us who care about civilized dialogue.
And be sure to get your copy of Unite and Concur: How to stop arguing and start communicating about politics.
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Tag line
Meryl Runion, Unite and Concur, and Speak Strong (SpeakStrong) provide Power Phrases (PowerPhrases) and other tools to help you improve communication skills at work and at home and in your community.
She is the author of the books Unite and Concur, PowerPhrases!, How to Use PowerPhrases, Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors and How to Say It: Performance Reviews. You can reach her at 719-684-2633 or by email:
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