There are many Roger Williams quotes that exemplify freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. The following is my favorite quote on differing opinions. This quote is from the introduction to a paper he submitted in a town meeting that occurred on 31 Jun 1648.
Here is a fuller version of his quote:
“…all men are apt & prone to differ it is no New Thing in all former Ages in all parts of this World…either part or partie is most right in his owne eyes…”–Roger Williams, 1648.
For me, Williams’ insight gets to the core of what I call the Debate Viewpoint: the understanding that everyone has a viewpoint. Just like you, people enter a disagreement believing they are right. Understanding that dynamic changes how you approach persuasion. The goal is not to react to every sentence or win every point.
Emotion and quick replies are too often the downfall. Someone says something that irritates you, you fire back, and suddenly the conversation has wandered into an area you never wanted to debate. A better approach is to pivot. A debate pivot steps above the dialogue for a moment, looks at where the dialogue is, and chooses better ground. You then acknowledging a point, and steer the discussion toward stronger ground. Instead of asking,
“What is my reply to what was just said?”
ask,
“Where do I want this conversation to go?”
Of course, this only works when you apply critical thinking, remain open-minded, and let facts change your thinking when they should. Fact check new facts. If true, start by acknowledging that truth. Then contextualize how it fits into the larger picture through your lens. In my view, if you are doing that honestly, you’re doing debate right.
