Why Should I Care About Dissoi Logoi?

By: Caitlyn Noudaranouvong

            I think Dissoi Logoi is so important for many things. Not only can this help you in arguments, but I feel like the more you know the better. Knowing too much about a topic can’t hurt you when you have to state your opinion or information about the topic. It is important to know both sides of a topic because it can show and help you decide which side you agree with. For example, I had a debate in high school over a topic and it was important for me to research all the information about that topic.

It was helpful to find information supporting my topic because I was in support for it, but it was also helpful to find things opposing my topic. The reason opposing views were helpful for the debate was because I was going to be up against a person, and if I had an idea of the things they were going to say I would be more prepared. Another reason why opposing views are helpful is because they can help you form or shape a stronger opinion. While I was doing my research on my topic, the opposing views were showing why I supported my topic, and opposing views can lead to positive things; in the sense of creating more reasons why I disagree with the opposing views.

I think a way to engage in Dissoi Logoi is whenever there is a disagreement or a conflict to listen and acknowledge both sides. Nothing is worse than having an argument and one of the people involved isn’t listening or acknowledging that the other person is talking. Even if you disagree with what the other person is saying, I think it is still important to know that there are always two sides to something. I also thing that propaganda isn’t very reliable and Dissoi Logoi is a lot more dependable and truthful. Rather than telling someone that they should be ashamed and that they are wrong for supporting one point of view, I think it is much more productive to acknowledge that there is another point of view.

If you are trying to persuade someone, knowing both sides of a topic can help you because you can point out flaws of the topic you disagree with on the opposing side, and that could help you persuade people. I think that Dissoi Logoi can be beneficial in any situation and people should engage in it a whole lot more. If not, I can use that to my advantage because then I will know both sides of whatever we may be discussing.