Arguments Vs. Discourse

Arguing is to me, a defense mechanism as well an enjoyable activity. More primitive than a debate, argument is often very emotionally driven, and very personal. Although the purpose is the same, to prove a point, unlike debate, arguments have nearly no rules. That does not mean that all arguments are the same however, there are actually all different kinds of arguments. Some types of arguments are very respectful, while others seem to simply be a contest of who can scream the loudest. Something tells me the public greek arguments were not this type of argument. I believe that while arguments don't mean that people do not like each other, that is the reason why many people do get in arguments in the first place.

In the case of the person who loves the president and the person who despises him, this does not mean that they are enemies, they simply have disagreeing opinions. There may still be tons of places where they can find common ground or agree on.

Arguments get personal for many reasons. One of the main reasons is human nature. When you are arguing, what you are really trying to do is make someone else seem wrong, and the other person right. When you are doing this, especially when it is done unexpectedly, people often feel like they are being stepped on, and take it personally, starting a rivalry without even considering what the other person has to say in the first place. This is much different then when someone is expecting shots to be fired, such as in court. A big reason why people often get so fueled up in arguments, is that they simply feel very strongly about the cause, which is not necessarily bad. As long as it does not get violent, you should be as active as you can.

When it comes to arguments, there should be no rules set. If you are looking for a ruled argument, go have a structured debate. Arguments are arguments, they make you mad, and sometimes satisfied. Although the you and the person you are arguing with may never admit it, the argument forced you guys to look at a different angle, as you had to come up with a counterargument. When it comes to arguments leading to violence or war, there is not much you can do about that, not even rules can do that. War is something that will happen regardless of argument. After all, you don't think we went to Iraq because President Bush had an argument with Saddam Hussein, do you? No, we went to Iraq because we didn't like their policy, and treatment of civilians. The only way we could stop arguments from reaching that next level, and spinning out of control would be self restraint. Instead of flipping out when someone starts to challenge your beliefs, stay calm, and express your own belief in a more sophisticated manner. Besides, flipping out on someone usually just makes you look like the fool anyway.