Discussions: Delightful or Destructive

We all have our own opinions on different ideas. Some of our opinions are very strong, while others are weaker. Just because are opinions are different doesn't mean we have to always keep them to ourselves. Although there are situations where its best to not share an opinion, a healthy discussion is the best place for everyone to share and listen to each other.

We did exactly this in our English class a few days ago. In order to determine the stance the authors of our articles maintained, we had an hour-long class discussion.

We each were able to share our opinions and back it up with our reasoning.

Unfortunately, not all discussions turn out this way. If not controlled, passionate disagreements can lead to criticism and even insult against each other. The purpose of the discussion is not to belittle each other but to share out ideas. Its important to stay focused on the discussion and disregard personal emotions regarding each other.

An example of a discussion is from Lord of the Rings. I actually revisited this trilogy very recently and this specific scene came to mind. It showcases a discussion where insults add on to chaos and degrade the discussion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LC3R9f7cEk

On a quick side note, the music is incredible. The feeling of power that arises when the Fellowship is standing together at 3:34 is brilliant. (That powerful feeling comes from that progression of major chord on the 1 to a major chord on the minor 3 back to the major chord on the 1, such as a D Maj - F Maj - D Maj).

Coming back to our main point, discussions can be great. However, as the scene shows, discussions are not always that way. It is our responsibility to make sure we do everything we can to keep a discussion healthy and delightful, so we can effectively communicate our opinions and ideas.