Why Fighting Is Good
In many occasions where we see siblings arguing in public, parents will go between them in an attempt to break the children apart and help them regain friendliness. Arguments seem bad on the outside, but Adam Grant, as he describes this situation in the article Kids, Would You Please Starting Fighting, thinks arguments are in fact good for individuals because they spark creativity.
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Grant begins his article with a story of Wright Brothers, who were the inventors of planes. By using real-life examples of famous people who had undergone arguments in order to successfully derive a good solution, Grant proves his point that arguments are there for the better. The Wright Brothers, at one point, fought about the design of the propeller for their plane. The disagreement apparently lasted for hours, until finally both brothers found out that none of them were correct to begin with. Their mechanics commented on the argument as being "hot" but neither brothers were actually "mad" at each other. Grant emphasizes that the point in arguing is to get hot without getting mad, "to have a good argument without getting personal".
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Kids that are exposed to open disagreements are given the chance to expand their creativity and imagination. This is because reasonings from other people allow them to see in a perspective other than their own. This logic is backed up by a study mentioned in the article: Adults in their 30s were asked to write an imaginative story, and the result was that those who came from an intense family wrote the more creative stories. Grant quotes psychologist Robert Albert who said: "the creative person-to-be comes from a family that is anything but harmonious, one with a 'wobble'". As he follows along with that idea, Grant makes use of and further proves that concept by exploiting Wright Brothers' family. He describes the brothers' father as wobbly, one who picked fights with school authorities when disagreements broke out.
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Outside sources also suggest that arguments are good for children. For example, Joanna Bounds mentions in Arguing is good for your health that "successful resolution of disagreements or even the acknowledgment that it is OK to hold differing points of view without the need to be right - can be a great learning opportunity for children as to how to deal with conflict themselves". This statement is in sync with Grant's "children need to learn the value of thoughtful disagreement". Another source from KidsHealth emphasizes that when kids dispute, they learn how to value another person's view and to compromise accordingly while managing their level of aggressiveness. By having peaceful arguments with one another, Grant suggests that is the sign of showing respect to someone's opinion while also respecting their own. Finally, in another article Is Arguing Really Bad for the Children written by Dr. Terri Apter, she agrees to Grant's argument. Dr. Apter found out that when children engage in disputes, they improve their skills on resolving conflicts---"When they argue without destroying a relationship when they distinguish between their own anger and other people's faults, when they move from fury to calm, they teach their children important lessons in negotiation and perspective-taking". Dr. Apter's research correlates with Grant's point of view. To further strengthen his argument, Grant explains that when parents do have disagreements in front of their children, kids will learn to think of their own opinions and express their ideas even if they are different because they have learned that even adults don't agree on everything.
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Grant makes his piece a good argument, and he proved it by demonstrating many elements of a strong argumentative essay. The first thing people notice about an article is not its introduction nor its main idea, but its title. The title "Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting" is a strong hook that attracts readers and makes them wonder why kids should start fighting when normally adults stop kids from quarreling. Additionally, ranging from the Wright Brothers to the Beatles, Grant provides many real-life examples of people who grew up in "wobbly" families and attained positive aspects. Furthermore, Grant explains the many advantageous traits that can be developed through arguing, and by quoting some scientists, he's making his argument strong and credible. Throughout the entire article, Grant presents his tone with confidence, which helps to pull the readers to his side of the argument.
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This article is a great example of argumentative essays. Not only does the author successfully capture readers' attention, he also manages to provide sufficient and powerful evidence to support his case. I have been persuaded that the correct way to argue is indeed the correct way to educate.
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Thank you!
