Are we having a reasonable discussion?

http://revdlesley.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-we-having-reasonable-discussion.html

Arguing Is Pointless

"Because listening has the opposite effect of arguing. Arguing closes people down. Listening slows them down. And then it opens them up. When someone feels heard, he relaxes. He feels generous. And he becomes more interested in hearing you. "

http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2011/02/arguing-is-pointless.html

Fallacies

"The first known systematic study of fallacies was due to Aristotle in his De Sophisticis Elenchis (Sophistical Refutations), an appendix to the Topics. He listed thirteen types. After the Dark Ages, fallacies were again studied systematically in Medieval Europe.  This is why so many fallacies have Latin names. The third major period of study of the fallacies began in the later twentieth century due to renewed interest from the disciplines of philosophy, logic, communication studies, rhetoric, psychology, and artificial intelligence."


http://www.iep.utm.edu/f/fallacy.htm

Example

"Noting that the auto accident rate rises and falls with the rate of use of windshield wipers, one concludes that the use of wipers is somehow causing auto accidents."