Chapter 5 - chapter 4 - Argue at the source

During a debate, it often feels like everyone throws out their political ideas as if they were throwing stones: it hits hard, it makes noise, but it builds nothing. Each person defends their side, attacks the other, and responds only on the surface without ever looking for what lies behind the words. Yet real effectiveness doesn't come from "winning" an exchange, but from understanding the other person's argument at its source. Instead of caricaturing what the other says, we can look for the value, the fear, the need, or the experience that motivates their position. By reformulating the other's idea in its strongest version, we turn a confrontation into a reflection. The other person feels understood, the tone softens, and we finally get to the core of the issue instead of fighting over the form. Misunderstandings disappear, common ground appears, and each person can adjust their thinking based on real ideas rather than caricatures. In the end, debating by going back to the source of arguments means stopping the stone-throwing and starting to build something coherent together, even in disagreement.