Posted by Violet on August 12, 19102 at 09:33:08:
The statement above conceals interesting connotations far above the argument that from whom people learn more. Issues of the effect of disagreement are not simply a debate over its good or bad to have divergement with others. Taking one with another, disagreement can cause motivities and inspirations in learning much more than stresses and inhibitions if people take a right attitude to disagreement.
People could learn much more from a person whose views contradict his own because different views often lead to a new conclusion which may be more reasonable and the friction of the opposite views can even cause a idealistic spark full of creativity. One good example is in the political field. In China after the ¡°institutional revolution¡± people have different views on the criterion of the verity then a nationwide discussion about this problem was held and during the impassioned debate people gradually come to a same standpoint that practice is the only criterion of the verity. So people holding different viewpoints debated and learned from each other and finally come to a reasonable conclusion. Another example is the foundation of the polity of China. Before Hong Kong coming back to mainland, some people argued that Hong Kong should under the same polity as the mainland while other stood on the opposite viewpoint. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of the two views and the down-to-earth situation, Mr Xiaoping Deng brought forward the creationary theory of ¡° one country, two system¡± and its feasibility has been proved by the practice.
There is another reason for people could learn much more from a person whose views contradict his own. If we take a modest attitude to the people holding different standpoint and consider the views impersonally, no matter the view is right or wrong, he could learn something from it. If his view is wrong, he could be told by the dissenter and corrected in good season and if he is right, he could also learn a lesson from his objector and avoid form making the same mistakes. For instance, two people make out a same math problem in two different ways and come to two different outcomes, no matter whoso is right, they both could learn what is right during the debate and take warning by the wrong means.
The same view could confirm one¡¯s standpoint but if the view itself is wrong, this confirmation couldn¡¯t be good for the holder. A person who is always be together with people who share the same views, may become more or less illiberal and orgulous .Many great people Newton in his later years who have made many discoveries and invents became standpat and made mistakes when they won fames and so many adherents. In addition, people may have less development if he refuse to contact with kinds of different views though his own is right. He may become shortsighted and blind-sided, in this way no one could be sure that he won¡¯t make silly mistakes in the future.
Although disagreement may cause some stress and inhibit learning, as long as we take a modest attitude and equitable attitude we are sure to transform stresses and inhibition into motivities and inspiration. All in all, we can learn much more from people whose views contradict our own than people whose views we share and the view of this argument may reflect our attitude to bearing ourselves.