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Talking about debatable topics: Open ended questions to learn without offending!

by MartinPaul

No matter if you are in a classroom or perhaps in a party, an interesting discussion might end all of a sudden, with hurt or perhaps offended people and no one wiser for the exchange. Although you may be truly interested to understand as well as study alternate perspectives, you should first create the ability of asking open ended questions. You can frequently find these on Bibles like Bibles for Children.

Well meaning people can ruin anyone's possibilities of being familiar with a subject of social controversy, mainly because they lack this competence. Effective as well as careful utilization of unsupported claims, in addition to an open ended question approach, can open the door to a exciting as well as thorough discussion that everybody gains.

For example, say you're at a party, excited to meet some new as well as interesting people. Debatable topics tend to be, on some level, sensitive in nature. You have relatives in the breakaway state of Russia therefore have different perspectives of the reality of the recent Russian presence. You begin a discussion with a history professor using the following remark. "I think it's just terrible the way the Russians sent soldiers into Georgia, hurting innocent people! What do you think?"

If you don't know the disposition or perhaps sentiments of that professor, you might have put your foot in your mouth. You've opened up the conversation by stating your disposition in advance. What if that professor is a Russian immigrant, having strong emotions on the Russian position? You've basically divested yourself of understanding several important historical information that might shed some light on the scenario. If this knowledgeable person gets offended, the conversation may be quick and uninformative.

Yet, given the identical scenario, posing an open ended question doesn't imply disagreement or bias on your part. You might ask, "You're a history professor and I was interested to learn more about the case in the Georgian conflict. What's behind this?"

This alternative approach does not express your perspective, except one of ignorance. Although the professor may have a bias, he or she will not perceive you being an enemy and will be flattered because you appreciate the things they are familiar with. It's unimportant whether or not this person concurs with you. The target is to learn what they think and know, how they got to their conclusions and become more informed at the same time.

Another example of the open ended topic, utilized in a purely social perspective might concern a debatable film. "Have you watched Michael Moore's 'Sicko'? I think that guy's a nut and disgracefully unpatriotic, right?" You have claimed your point, leaving the individual you're questioning in a potentially awkward lurch. Not everybody of the opposing mindset is going to be rude adequately enough to tell you off. Another loss for you!

What about, "Have you seen 'Sicko'? I was curious regarding his take on the health care situation. It is getting a lot of push." These kinds of cases on the utilization of open ended questions can be a bit heavy handed, but deliberately so. You will see the value of learning, without the need of offending.

About the Author: Frank Cole

Written by Martin Paul, an avid collector of Rings for Christians.

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Talking about debatable topics: Open ended questions to learn without offending!