"Listening is doubting
Seeing is believing
Doing is learning."
(Mom had asked bout wormi culture or something)
This one was put up on a board in a garden there,
"Discussion is exchange of knowledgeI forget the third line in that thought. It was good.
Argument is exchange of ignorance...
"
1 comment:
One of the problems that arises while reading and interpreting quotations is the definition of the terms involved. Most of them contain terms that are defined by the context they are used in, but since the quotations are devoid of the context,the terms become ambiguous.
The second quote in the article is such instance. Argument as defined in the free online dictionary : 1. Logical procession of ideas leading to a conclusion 2. A course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating truth or falsehood.
The same dictonary defines discussion as:1. Consideration of a subject by a group; an earnest conversation.
By the above definitions it is clear that a discussion is done when some thing is to be decided about an issue by the group of people.It implies that there is no stand of people involved originally. Argument on the other hand happens when the people involved have already formed their opinions (rational) about an issue and they are at conflict with each other.
It seems quite clear that both the situations can arise in a practical context.And since a rationally reached conclusion is hard to reject without a debate, a debate seems inevitable in an argument. It is therefore very childish to dismiss that arguments are sharing of ignorance. It is perhaps the inability of the author to present his points logically and correctly and the inability to deal with ideas rather than persons which results in this quote.All this in the assumption that the definitions included above are meant.
In the other case,it can very well happen that the context in which these words were spoken defines "argument" and "discussion" differently and in that case it is imprudent to comment.But I guess in that case it is also the job of the author to make sure that the context is passed along with the quote. In this form, then, the quote is highly misguiding.
Link to the dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com
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