Dissoi Logoi: Two Sides to Every Argument, Four Sides of a House

This may be a very elementary example of how I’ve use dissoi logoi in my daily life recently but I’m going to roll with it. 

We’ve learned throughout the semester, that dissoi logoi is the idea that there are two (or more) valid sides to every argument. This has been an important topic because it gives you a better-rounded viewpoint of your stance in the argument. This has come into play in my personal life several times over the past few months as my husband and I have been trying to buy a house. (Something that has proved to be much more difficult than what you see on HGTV). It has been very beneficial and eye opening to consider both sides (mine, as the buyer wanting the lowest price possible, and the sellers wanting to get the most money out of their home possible) when trying to decide on an offer price. In my opinion, most home buyers think about the usual things (square footage, location, bedroom and bathroom ratios point of view) but don’t always consider the seller’s perspective. My husband and I have made a conscious effort to always consider the sellers side to make the best offer possible. We take time to think about the condition they kept the home, the updates they made throughout their time living there, the price they paid for the home when they bought it, and much more.

I think this use of dissoi logoi has been especially beneficial for my family due to the state of the real estate market in Lincoln right now. It is most definitely a seller’s market and homes are selling very quickly usually for more than list price. The competition for homes right now is outrageous and searching for/touring homes is very time consuming, especially when we’re both working full time and in school (add in a 2-year-old with a chronic disease and no family closer than 5 hours away, it’s almost impossible!).

In the past few months we’ve been outbid on 3 different houses and had one offer rejected. Like any other situation the reject and competition begins to wear on you after a while and you almost get desperate. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to just say ‘screw it’ let’s just give them whatever amount they want, BUT considering all sides of every situation has kept us levelheaded and prevented us from overpaying on a house or compromising on our must-haves just to win.