chapter10.2

As wise old Ben Franklin used to say: If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes; but it will be an empty victory because you will never get your opponent's good will.

So figure it out for yourself.

Which would you rather have, an academic, theatrical victory or a person's good will?

You can seldom have both.

The Boston Transcript once printed this bit of significant doggerel:

Here lies the body of William Jay, who died maintaining his right of way.

He was right, dead right, as he sped along, but he's just as dead as if he were wrong.

You may be right, dead right, as you speed along in your argument; but as far as changing another's mind is concerned, you will probably be just as futile as if you were wrong.

Frederick S. Parsons, an income tax consultant, had been disputing and wrangling for an hour with a government tax inspector.

An item of nine thousand dollars was at stake.

Mr. Parsons claimed that this nine thousand dollars was in reality a bad debt, that it would never be collected, that it ought not to be taxed.

"Bad debt, my eye !" retorted the inspector.

"It must be taxed."

"This inspector was cold, arrogant and stubborn," Mr. Parsons said as he told the story to the class. "

Reason was wasted and so were facts...

The longer we argued, the more stubborn he became.

So I decided to avoid argument, change the subject, and give him appreciation.

"I said, 'I suppose this is a very petty matter in comparison with the really important and difficult decisions you're required to make.

I've made a study of taxation myself.

But I've had to get my knowledge from books.

You are getting yours from the firing line of experience.

I sometime wish I had a job like yours.

It would teach me a lot.'

I meant every word I said.

"Well." The inspector straightened up in his chair, leaned back, and talked for a long time about his work, telling me of the clever frauds he had uncovered.

His tone gradually became friendly, and presently he was telling me about his children.

As he left, he advised me that he would consider my problem further and give me his decision in a few days.

"He called at my office three days later and informed me that he had decided to leave the tax return exactly as it was filed."

This tax inspector was demonstrating one of the most common of human frailties.

He wanted a feeling of importance; and as long as Mr. Parsons argued with him, he got his feeling of importance by loudly asserting his authority.

But as soon as his importance was admitted and the argument stopped and he was permitted to expand his ego, he became a sympathetic and kindly human being.

Buddha said: "Hatred is never ended by hatred but by love,"

and a misunderstanding is never ended by an argument but by tact, diplomacy, conciliation and a sympathetic desire to see the other person's viewpoint.

Lincoln once reprimanded a young army officer for indulging in a violent controversy with an associate.

"No man who is resolved to make the most of himself," said Lincoln, "can spare time for personal contention.”

“Still less can he afford to take the consequences, including the vitiation of his temper and the loss of self-control.

Yield larger things to which you show no more than equal rights; and yield lesser ones though clearly your own.

Better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right.

Even killing the dog would not cure the bite."

In an article in Bits and Pieces,* some suggestions are made on how to keep a disagreement from becoming an argument: Welcome the disagreement.

Remember the slogan, "When two partners always agree, one of them is not necessary."

If there is some point you haven't thought about, be thankful if it is brought to your attention.

Perhaps this disagreement is your opportunity to be corrected before you make a serious mistake.

Distrust your first instinctive impression.

Our first natural reaction in a disagreeable situation is to be defensive.

Be careful.

Keep calm and watch out for your first reaction.

It may be you at your worst, not your best.

Control your temper.

Remember, you can measure the size of a person by what makes him or her angry.

Listen first.

Give your opponents a chance to talk.

Let them finish. Do not resist, defend or debate.

This only raises barriers. Try to build bridges of understanding.

Don't build higher barriers of misunderstanding.

Look for areas of agreement.

When you have heard your opponents out, dwell first on the points and areas on which you agree.

Be honest. Look for areas where you can admit error and say so.

Apologize for your mistakes.

It will help disarm your opponents and reduce defensiveness.

Promise to think over your opponents' ideas and study them carefully.

And mean it.

Your opponents may be right.

It is a lot easier at this stage to agree to think about their points than to move rapidly ahead and find yourself in a position where your opponents can say:

"We tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen."

Thank your opponents sincerely for their interest.

Anyone who takes the time to disagree with you is interested in the same things you are.

Think of them as people who really want to help you, and you may turn your opponents into friends.

Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem.

Suggest that a new meeting be held later that day or the next day, when all the facts may be brought to bear.

In preparation for this meeting, ask yourself some hard questions: Could my opponents be right? Partly right?

Is there truth or merit in their position or argument?

Is my reaction one that will relieve the problem, or will it just relieve any frustration?

Will my reaction drive my opponents further away or draw them closer to me?

Will I win or lose?

What price will I have to pay if I win?

If I am quiet about it, will the disagreement blow over?

Is this difficult situation an opportunity for me?

Principle 1 The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.