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Home Ruminations

Discussions

I frequently hear the complaint that someone won't participate in a discussion and instead will only say I don't want to hear it. Well, discussion is an exchange of ideas, not obtaining an audience; it's a privilege, not a right.

Part of obtaining that privilege is the discussion has to provide something to the other party too. Maybe it's education, or entertainment, or enlightenment, or amusement, or understanding, or a way to avoid boredom, or... but something. If having what you call a discussion feels similar to lecturing at the other party -spraying them with a list of your opinions- that's not a real discussion. If having what you call a discussion feels similar to disciplining a child, that's not a real discussion.

So what is a real discussion like?

As we've seen, there are a whole lot of reasons you may face I don't want to hear it other than the topic itself. If nothing else, remember this one thing: in order to obtain the privilege of a discussion, there has to be something in it for the other party too.



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