Argumentative by Nature

I’ve been really frustrated the last few days as I’ve been getting no where in arguments with friends and co-workers.

So, I pulled up an old essay written by Scott Berkun that I remembered reading over a year ago.

The essay is called “Why smart people defend bad ideas.” It’s a very well written account of how people act in arguments. It has tips to help counter people who get away with too much. However, I enjoy reading it as a reminder to myself that sometimes I’m just a smart person defending a bad idea.

I especially like the point about good ideas coming from diverse people. Smart people know what’s to know, but diverse people know what’s different. And in this world, only the new ideas count.