As long as there is more than one person on this planet, there will be disagreement. Most of us cannot go a day without hearing or reading something we disagree with. Once presented with these things, we are immediately confronted with a choice of action or silence. When we act upon our own opinions and beliefs, a confrontation is born. The first definition of an argument on dictionary.com is an oral disagreement; verbal opposition; altercation. Though it may not be as dramatic as the image above, arguing with another person or a group of individuals is very much a body practice probably all of us have partaken in. But why do we argue with one another? What drives us to make that initial choice of action? Though these might seem like simple questions with simple answers, I feel like theres a lot of subtle messages about culture we can take away from altercations and the way they play out.
So what entices us to argue with someone else? Is it because we are truly passionate about the issue at hand? Arguing is very much a power struggle, where we empower ourselves with the things say and the way we say them. We take agency by crafting our words to overpower and convince someone else. We begin to raise our voices and use a more threatening tone as a warning to the opposing side. An argument also depends on the person(s) we are arguing against. As a man, am i more inclined to argue against a woman, or someone of a different ethnicity. It seems funny to me that confidence in the things we believe, like everything else i suppose, is a relative concept. By this same respect, we also choose who not to verbally scuffle with. This can all be related back to our image of ourselves. If we have a strong and confident of ourselves, we may be more or less inclined to argue. The same is true about the image and standards we are held to. For example, christians are held to a certain standard and specific set of believes. If they were to pass someone preaching atheistic views, they would be inclined to turn around and say something, not necessarily because they believe strongly against the matter, though some might, but because they adopted the title "christian" and feel it their duty or obligation to defend that social construction.
My final point would be thats its all too easy to over-simplfy the reasoning behind the concept of an argument. When, in reality it's layered with cultural concepts and constructions, as well as shades of gray.
An interesting take on the act of "arguing". I agree that it definitely gives people that sense of power they love which is why some people love to argue because it may feel to them they only way of which they can gain some power over other people. It also may be due to a fear of being vulnerable. I also agree with what you said how your image can affect who you argue with and how you argue with them. For instance, I would not argue with someone who's image has supposed power over me already, i.e. a teacher, an elder, a policeman.
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