On Tuesday we'll talk about the virtues of being wrong (find the two TED talks under our "readings" page). Today we reflected on what we'd be taught about why we need to "entertain the counterclaim" in our writing. Here are reasons our classes came up with:
- To be less biased
- To add credibility/authority to your argument by showing that you've researched different sides
- To acknowledge and/or reach the opposition in order to persuade
- To find the flaws in your own argument in order to strengthen/validate it
- To change your mind
- To use sarcasm to inflate the flaws of the opposition and destroy it
- To understand other points of view
As you watch the two videos, think about how these reasons compare to the reasons for being wrong that you hear from Cohen & Schultz. Make a list of three or four of these reasons, and bring them along to class on Tuesday.
For an example of a "winning by losing" blog post, see this response to the Louis CK "fat girl rant." Where does the author acknowledge "losing" in this post? What are the phrases or "moves" she makes to acknowledge her loser status? What does she suggest we can learn by acknowledging how Louis CK (the writer/actor/comedian, not necessarily the character in the scene) has "won?"
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