Playing the ball….
So the saying goes, “play the ball and not the man”. Often times we find that in the haste to get our view across that we forget these words.
Issues come and passions (and tempers) flare and very often the issue being debated is forgotten in favour of having a dig at the person. I find myself doing this on a regular basis and have been forcing myself to consider my position before responding.
It becomes increasingly difficult in this age of instant information and the need we all have to “defend” our positions. I need to say that debate is important and we need to have more robust debate in our society as a whole, however we need to ensure that we remain focused on the issue.
In short be prepared to debate a point but always be mindful of the opportunity to learn.
If you believe that you are above learning then you should steer clear of debates. Attitudes that are not open to learning and debate fall out of the realm of constructive input and seek only to serve their masters.
Enjoy the debate and more importantly have fun out there!
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