Political debates occur all the time. Whether between high school students between classes or adults at work, many like to voice their opinion. However, the percentage of the time in which I have actually seen someone change their minds is small. I feel like if someone is fiery or opinionated enough to enter a debate that they have generally already decided what he/she thinks. period
I think that this might occur for many reasons.
1) like Mr. Silton (I think it was Mr. Silton) brought up in class, it hurts to be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling and just sucks. The only thing that sucks more than being wrong is having to admit to someone you are arguing with that not only are you wrong but they are right. It is a necessary thing that you should just suck up and admit sometimes. However, a lot of times people will convince themselves they are right or just not admit they are wrong
2) The political party system just screws things up. Oh I am a liberal and a republican came up with the idea so I should not support it. Or my parents/ congressional representative / Barack Obama is against it so I am also against it.. Just because the apozing party came up with something or because someone you support does not support it should not affect your opinion. The politcal system works bottom up NOT TOP DOWN. We the people are supposed to decide on how we feel about an issue. Then the people who represent us or whose politcal party we are in are supposed to represent what we feel as the people. Deciding on an issue because the person you voted for supports it is so ass backwards it is just wrong.
In my experience the only time that politcal debates or arguments really affect anyone's perspective is when one or more of the people involved have a huge lack of knowledge or real preference. Generally the otherside will present some facts that the other is simply not aware of and that will change his/her opinion.
Are politcal debates useless? I do not think so because many crystallize /refine their views through debate. However, I do not believe that they are very affective in the aspect of changing someone's side of a political issue.
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7 comments:
I feel that you are somewhat correct in your analysis of those involved in a political debate.
If it is two strong opinions discussing something, neither are likely to change their view. However, it does help to make you think more about your side (at least if you are debating in a useful way), and more than that, those who are listening get to hear both sides of the debate and form their own opinions.
And if one or more of those involved in the debate are willing to revise their views on things, or have no strong views in the first place, then it can indeed help form an opinion.
-Ilan Seid-Green
1. Actually, if someone is able to admit defeat and concede, they not only have proved maturity, but intelligence, dignity, and a sense of honor and respect for what is actually the truth and what is right. If someones is unable to do so, they shouldn't be able to enter a debate, plain and simple.
2. This goes back to the idea that people in general don't want to think about how they feel regarding certain issues and just start basing their "views" on on absolutely nothing or other people's possibly flawed perspectives. Peoples' own entitlements to the truth and facts are starting to dwindle dramatically and ultimately ends up proving that people are unable to identify themselves as liberals or republicans in the first place.
"I know nothing about an issue, yet I want to have an opinion."
Exactly. I've been face-palming for years.
-Andrew Oxendine 3°
Mark's completely correct of course in that political debates end up with someone admitting they are wrong .00001% of the time, also 48% of statistics are made up. However they are great fun and if you honestly get upset to the point where you get angry your doing it wrong.
Digression inc, last year during the gay marriage debate I heard my classmates experience tons of opinions on why everyone who doesn't want gay marriage is evil and they are amazed people are so closeminded. When I asked them what they thought about the year before that I got blank stares, these people were so upset over this issue they had no idea they had the same bill 1 year ago. It was sad. Yeah in 2007 they actually banned gay marriage but it was overturned by the california supreme court because it was unconstitutional. Then in 2008 the bill was to make it part of the state constitution so the supreme court couldn't call it unconstitutional. So after my classmates realized it had already been voted upon they were actually happy, they were glad because they thought they could keep voting on the issue every year until people change their minds. It's now part of our state constitution and can't be voted on, /facepalm, now the point of that story is merely to point out how idiotic you look when you get upset and take a position you know nothing about.
Proper facepalming technique in link below
http://www.scienceblogs.de/frischer-wind/picard-facepalm.jpg
I agree that political debate can often times be pointless because what actually occurs is not debate but an "I'm right and this is why your'e wrong" argument. The essence of debate is mutual enlightenment in the search of an objective truth that is better than either opinion. The problem lies in why people adhere to political parties; this is what makes debate impossible.
People define themselves politically by whatever constituency "supports" THEIR views. And these views of theirs are their RIGHTS. So when people have a strong sense of rights, as pretty much all Americans do, they protect their point of view fiercely and by effect their friendly political party that tells them who they are and what they believe in is valid. Who wants to be told otherwise? So its not so much about the party, but rather stubborn people who could not care less about reasonable thinking or an objective truth.
Andrew: "f someone is able to admit defeat and concede, they not only have proved maturity, but intelligence, dignity, and a sense of honor and respect for what is actually the truth and what is right."
I agree completely. However besides being close minded, stealing,lying,cheating,and harassing are also wrong. That does not mean that people do not do those acts.
I wouldn't say they are completely useless as Ilan said "it does help to make you think more about your side". I think the only way they are completely pointless is if one side is completely and utterly uneduacated about the topic...I personally perfer to stay away from debate with people who have strong views or weak uninformed views
-Tim Dyer
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