Dealing With Questions And Objections

Dealing With Questions And Objections

A long, irreconcilable argument tends to become bitter and goes nowhere. Frame and position your questions and objections on a page so that they will encourage clarity and conclusiveness.

Posing Questions or Objections

When posting an objection on the same page as the one containing the discursive prose that you object to, keep the objection limited to eliciting information. You might accomplish this by phrasing the objection as a question, such as "Does this theory imply X?" rather than "This theory implies X, which is wrong."

Another way is to phrase the objection with the assumption that the original contributor has an answer to it. For example, "What do you mean by ....?" or "How do you answer the objection that...?" One should have more of a goal that just to "win". It is better to use your objection to help the page become a clearer exposition of the idea that the page is intended for. If the answer is not convincing, do not hammer on it. At most, help the other person see how he might make his answer more convincing. If the back-and-forth mode continues for more than a screen or so, you might create a new page where you can convert your objection into a new idea.

Answering Questions and Objections

Answer clearly and in terms the other person can understand

Questions and objections typically grow out of a different way of looking at things than an idea proposes. Of course they do; that's the very premise of in-depth conversation. Consequently, questions often assume a premise that the idea rejects, and objections often object to something that the idea doesn't propose.

It's tempting, when there is an impedance mismatch between your idea and a question or objection, to answer vaguely, not at all, or in a way that doesn't address the concerns or mental framework of the person asking. Better that, you feel, than to implicitly agree to the idea you're opposing or dilute the one you're advocating.

If it's a yes-or-no question, and the answer is yes or no, then say "yes" or "no" (these very words).

If there is some implication that doesn't follow in your mental framework, but does in that of the person asking the question, then explicitly disavow the implication in addition to answering yes or no.

If you are asked to explain what you mean by a term, then present a definition, give examples, show the concept in use in a proposition - everything that one would ordinarily do to help someone grasp a new concept. Write without presuming that the reader already knows what the term means.

If you don't know the answer to the question or don't see how to meet the objection, say so. If you think there is an answer but can't see what it is right now or how to express it comprehensibly, say so.

If the question or objection wrongly construes something about your idea, patiently explain what's wrong. If the question doesn't make sense within the mental framework you're proposing (often this is a virtue of a new way of looking at things: it renders formerly difficult questions unnecessary), explain why this is so, and how your mental framework differs from the one from which the question originates.

If you don't understand the question, ask for help understanding it. You can even ask for help making your answer understandable.

Thanks Donald for drawing people attention to this. It is a hint for me, besides the current "long pole in the tent" parties.

Can you improve this page by quoting specific examples here as well (in a new section maybe)? It will make things so much easier for people with insufficent AttentionCapital?. I am glad you did not get discouraged (not yet) by direct and unwarranted criticisms. -- DavidLiu WriteWhereTheyRead mode DeleteWhenRead by DN

CategoryDialogue