Argue like the Wright brothers

Wilbur and Orville Wright were famous for their arguments, but they did it in a great way. Rather than ever attacking each other personally, they attacked the viewpoints of one another, freeing them to dig in deep.

As much as they respected one another, they were open to new ideas which sometimes led to comical outcomes. As Orville as said:

Often, after an hour or so of heated argument, we would discover that we were as far from agreement as when we started, but that each had changed to the other’s original position.

Healthy debate can be a wonderful thing, if the topic can be kept to the issue and not the person. So many arguments, particularly around touchy subjects like politics or sports, become focused on the person.

As this great article in Scientific American stated:

They argued because they sought truth, not because one brother desired to win a victory over the other.

If we could all learn to argue like they did, I suspect every one of us would be both wiser and happier.

Originally published at https://www.mickmel.com on February 19, 2021.