Category Archives: Focus

Conquer Your Fear, State Your Opinions

Argument, Express yourself, Focus

You’ve probably heard that public speaking is feared more than death. But this doesn’t mean that all of those people have nothing they want to say.

If you’ve found yourself silently disagreeing with the conversation around the water cooler at work, or seething over the comment section of news articles without saying anything, you’re not alone. Stop unloading your opinions to your significant other at the end of the day.

Intelligent discussion, argument, discourse—it is possible to exchange differing ideas without a stressful, hostile outcome. To get your opinions across in a world of CAPS LOCK shouting matches and hurt feelings you need the power of the skill of argument.

With the proper education you can refute misleading data, shut down personal attacks, ask the right questions and conquer your nerves.

Some people are born with preternatural confidence, even if they’re not preternaturally competent. They’re not nervous making an argument anywhere, anytime. Good for them. But most people will fall somewhere on the spectrum of nervousness between butterflies and crippling self-doubt. Don’t let this stop you from expressing what you have to say through argument.

Better solutions are implemented when everyone feels free to offer their opinions for vigorous and open discussion and debate. What you know, your specific experiences and ideas, are unique and important. Don’t let fear keep you from joining an argument.

If you’re interested in learning how to make your voice heard, check out The Joy of Argument here. Written for the layperson by an experienced attorney, this easy-to-read guide to argument will educate you in the art of intelligent debate.

Focus on What Matters

Argument, Excerpts, Focus

“When you think about your argument, you may realize there is a universe of information Joy of Argument Albert Navarrathat is completely irrelevant to your argument. So an important part of good reasoning is ferreting out facts and points that may initially seem relevant or enticing, but in reality do not matter one bit. Trying to persuade by attacking the other person personally, by appealing to what ‘most’ other people think, or by instilling fear are a few of many examples of irrelevancy that we will cover in this book. In essence, discussing things that are irrelevant to an argument is the same as changing the subject of the argument and arguing about something else. ”

—The Joy of Argument, pg. 59

Stay focused.

It’s easy to become distracted by irrelevant information–whether you’re sidetracking yourself, or your opponent is barraging you with facts and figures that simply don’t matter. It takes practice, but a skilled arguer can learn to move past extraneous points, without getting pulled into time-wasting tangents.

Don’t waste your time.

Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the multitude of information that may be hiding the important parts of an argument. Find out early on what matters most about your argument, and don’t let anything distract you from those key points as you build and argue your case.

Don’t be distracted, discouraged or persuaded by the infinite number of things that simply don’t matter.

If you’re interested in learning more about using argument, check out The Joy of Argument here.