The proper use of argument

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-08-12/i-m-with-stupid-and-paul-krugman

By Noah Smith
Aug. 12, 2014

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as a society, we use arguments the wrong way. We tend to treat arguments like debate competitions -- two people argue in front of a crowd, and whoever wins gets the love and adoration of the crowd, and whoever loses goes home defeated and shamed. I guess that's better than seeing arguments as threats of physical violence, but I still prefer the idea of arguing as a way to learn, to bounce ideas off of other people. Proving you're smart is a pointless endeavor (unless you're looking for a job), and is an example of what Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck calls a "fixed mindset." As the band Sparks once sang, "Everybody's stupid -- that's for sure." What matters is going in the right direction -- becoming less stupid, little by little.

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