What is your point?

Somehow it is in my nature that I can argue on both sides of a discussion. I am writing this as
sometimes I have been accused that I do not have a side and I oppose everything that others have
to say. This is not entirely false and I am guilty to some extent. To summarise the apparent question
then, “why?” let me quote Mr. Unknown - “no conversation is more boring than the one where
everybody agrees.”

Let us say 2 guys are discussing which profession is more dignified, being a prostitute, a porn star
or a politician? The first person says “hmmm I think prostitutes are more dignified” and the other
says “ya ya I too think that”. Now that both agree, they move on to discuss something else. Unless
one of them ask “why do you think so?” You as a third person listing to them are left with a big
void, “but why?” especial when you believe otherwise. The inevitable “why?” in such a case depends
on the mood of the participants and their interest in the topic. However when one person opposes
the other it is given that the “why?” is implied.

If you want to get a new prospective on any subject, even though you agree with the other person,
you have to learn to oppose them. Now the odds are stacked against you. If you want to keep the
interest of the group in the debate, you need to have very strong points to back your claims. In most
cases I do have and it is difficult to do so, especially when you personally believe the opposite is
true. This has helped me a lot, in broadening my knowledge gaining other persons perspective and
establishing an image for myself that- I just oppose all that others say.

I do not want the credit for this concept, our parliament has been doing this for ages. For long I
thought the minority party in the parliament are called “Opposition Party” because they are paid to
be in office to oppose everything good or bad. Their agenda is “I oppose you, though I agree with
you. I have an image to keep.”

Great Ideas and philosophies are results of great debates and discussion groups. There are many
examples of these, one famous is the Oxford pub “The Eagle and the Child”. The Rabbit room, were
now well know authors like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien sat and exchanged stories and idea. I have
never been to Calcutta but the Bengalis famous for their debates (and communism) have such
a place called “the Coffee House”. Sadly the new generation have short attention spans and an
inherent hate for conversation and debate other than online- forums. Thus this culture of debate
and exchange of ideas is slowly dying. However the good thing is they do not have to depend on
other for their source and for a different perspective to their though. They have a friend that knows
all called the Internet.