[quote=6packscaredy]when lawyers cross examine witnesses, the direct confrontational, accusatory approach rarely yields anything.
the humorous, sideways, occasionally goofy agreeable approach usually gets the witness to cooperate, to let their guard down, to communcate, to sometimes agree with the questioner where the direct approach just causes a complete shut down.
over the years of my experience, i have found that being agreeable, interested in others opinions, even others whose opnioins seem crazy, yields more communication, better results and occasionally some sense from the otehr that i might be a human, just liek them….
confrontation can work too, under certain cricumstances. im just saying, it’s not necessarily the only useful approach…[/quote]
Could not agree more, scaredy. Confrontation — without rational discussion or an attempt to really understand the other side — will only drive the opposition into hiding…where the real extremists wield the greatest power.
Best to keep everyone, and all their various opinions, out in the open where we can calmly and rationally discuss things without name-calling and taking sides. It’s this taking of sides that causes the greatest division.
We all need to learn to get along. Sometimes, that will mean that we accept differences of opinions, even encourage them. If we want to change opinions, we have to do so by focusing on what we have in common rather than focusing on the differences and dividing ourselves based on those differences. Antagonism has never won anyone over.
