Be quick to listen and slow to speak…
…but not too slow because you might miss your chance.
Open discussion doesn’t exist
There is no such thing as a free debate or an open discussion. In their purest form, they simply do not exist. There will always be some subjects which aren’t up for debate, or some values which inhibit and impinge on others.
More importantly, there will always be some voices which are louder or more confident than others.
What I mean is that in every group, there will always be a small group of voices who feel they have more to contribute, or are in a better position to contribute, or are simply better at thinking on their feet, than the other voices in the room. This is the big flaw in the ideal of free debate, and in the discursive method.
So often, discussion is utilised over monologue with the justification that it is a more equal, fairer way of learning. I’m not sure that this is true.
Let’s discuss - but not because it is any more free, fair or open.
