You Made Me Think

The highest compliment from someone who disagrees with you is not, ‘You were right.’ It’s ‘You made me think.’ Good arguments help us recognize complexity where we once saw simplicity. The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It’s to promote critical thinking… A good debate isn’t about one person declaring victory; it’s about both people making a discovery. 

-Adam Grant in “You Can’t Say That! How to Argue, Better” The Guardian, July 30, 2022.

 

The greatest learning moments in my life have been the result of something that, or someone who, challenged my thinking. These are the moments I carry with me—sometimes joyful and sometimes uncomfortable, but always impactful. At Nashoba Brooks, we focus on the importance of understanding different perspectives as a critically important aspect of understanding and developing your own. What have you learned from someone who has different ideas, background, and lived experience than your own? How might we create more opportunities for healthy engagement, active listening, thoughtful questioning, critical thinking, and shared discovery?