If the issue is the problem of talking past each other in a philosophical discussion and the issue isn't a misunderstanding, then it's simply not a debate, but just people saying what they want to say and not caring what others are talking about, like:
A) I want to talk here about horses.
B) I love cats. I have a cat. Many people in the Forum have cats. Have you known that? It's interesting they don't have dogs. Why is it so?
C) Dog owners are fascists.
A) But the issue was horses. Horses are big.
B) Oh I agree, C. They are fascists. — ssu
Talking past each other is an English phrase describing the situation where two or more people talk about different subjects, while believing that they are talking about the same thing.
But instead, what I've seen happen is that some people will just keep pushing their own ideas and going around in circles, and then all I end up doing is identifying the reoccurring problem while the other person just keeps pushing on. If you're either unwilling or unable to engage in a more productive way with an idea, because it clashes with an idea of your own that you won't let go off, then you should just come out and say so, and let that be the end of it. — S
I sympathize. But it's probably the case that the other side also experiences your pushing on as missing the already identified problem, while also seeing themselves as just pushing on. It gets more tricky than horses vs cats quickly.
So what's to be done? — csalisbury
rather your question to the other dude prompted me to inquire as to your basis in asking the question. — DingoJones
I think it could be helpful to bring that experience into this thread as a kind of 'case-study' in order to pick apart exactly what went wrong. — csalisbury
The basis is simply that person A says "I reasonably supported assertion P," because person A sincerely feels that to be the case, whereas person B says "No you didn't," because they sincerely feel that to be the case.
So now what do we do? — Terrapin Station
I like that idea. It would be good to see who is off topic by examining what each person was talking about and comparing it to the specified topic in the OP.
Just might be that several people have egg on their chins. Or mustaches. — Sir2u
The discussions in question were my own discussions. You think I could have been the one going off topic in my own discussions? :brow: — S
To stop it, we must limit our dealings with only what has been said as much as possible and when we think miscommunication has occurred, being able to identify that and put a stop to it. It's not as easy to do that as it sounds, when that same miscommunication may have already produced a lot of irritation and negative feelings. — Judaka
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