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None of our suggestions is magic. A discussion is a highly complex group exchange. Be flexible, be patient. Be as aware and observant as possible. Listen closely. Experience will help you to control and direct a discussion.
A belief in open exchange and an eagerness to learn are the most basic qualities you can bring and impart to your group. If you can demonstrate that fruitful discussion needs to be more than a debate or an occasion to defend one's views, and that learning from each other and having the ability to change one's mind is not a sign of weakness or inferiority, but rather a sign of maturity, then you have made an important contribution.
Note on Language
Your group members will express themselves using language, but language is a tool that is often used very sloppily in speaking or writing - or both. There is a tempting tendency to hide behind clich?s and vague generalities; such language reflects our thinking, too. This is something of which you should be aware and point out in a constructive manner when you hear it in your group - or bring in examples from the outside, if you wish.
A short essay by George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, has yet to be surpassed in its analysis of the role and power of language in the exchange of ideas and the creation of thought. We recommend that you read it, and keep it in mind as you listen closely to your group members express themselves. |