Quotes About Debate

I see a trust problem here in the lack of debate that exists at staff meetings and other interactions among this team.

When people who don't trust one another engage in passionate debate, they are trying to win the argument. They aren't usually listening to the other person's ideas and then reconsidering their point of view; they're figuring out how to manipulate the conversation to get what they want.

Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won't be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won't have a meeting.

Kathryn paused for effect before delivering her next line. "Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won't be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won't have a meeting.

When team members do not openly debate and disagree about important ideas, they often turn to back channel personal attacks, which are far nastier and more harmful than any heated argument over issues

Let me assure you that from now on, every staff meeting we have will be loaded with conflict. And they won't be boring. And if there is nothing worth debating, then we won't have a meeting." The

Well, some teams get paralyzed by their need for complete agreement, and their inability to move beyond debate.

I don't discuss 'issues' with anyone. And it's a vile, infantile word, you'd be wise to eliminate it from your slim vocabulary.

Don't ever accuse me of being objective.

Argue with idiots, and you become an idiot.

Most struggles, whatever they're really about, will be cast as struggles between competing ideas. The

My idea had been to drive along the border and nip over whenever convenient to the Mexican side. These dozen or so crossings were a revelation to me, putting the whole border debate into perspective, giving it a human face—or rather, many faces.

Intelligent people discuss ideas. Fools discuss how people should behave.

men love to explain things, and they have opinions on everything.

If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.

I even accept for the sake of argument that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged.

I simply cannot accept that there are on every story two equal and logical sides to an argument.

You cannot be sure that you are right unless you understand the arguments against your views better than your opponents do.

When you have no basis for an argument, abuse the plaintiff.

Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong.

Arguments about Scripture achieve nothing but a stomachache and a headache.

Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic.

When you argue with your inferiors, you convince them of only one thing: they are as clever as you.

I shall not make an argument ad hominem. My argument is ad bullshitem.