Topic 1: “We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than from people whose views contract our own.” Disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning

Nowadays, learning plays an important factor to keep up with the development of society. According to the statement, it is usually easier for us to learn from people who have similar ideas with us than from those who hold different ideas. The speaker claims so, for the reason disagreement can cause stress and inhibit learning from others. I concede that undue discord can impede learning. Otherwise, in my view we can also learn a lot of helpful things from different discourses and debates.

Admittedly if we join in a group which includes persons with same opinions, we can feel comfortable to connect everyone in team. All work for one goal with the same passion. That increases the chances to listen to what others have to say instead of disputations. Therefore, we can collect an abundant deep understanding concerned about the issue discussing. It is a good environment for positive learning. On the flip side, gaining knowledge on one side limits the exchange of information among people. For example, in a class, students only focus on whatever teacher teach and have not any opinions. That makes study be bored, and they become passive learners. But if there is a student whose views conflicts with others, his teacher will consider and research subject again. So, we can open our mind from things which that student provides in order to defend his idea. That enhances the quality of lecture and supplements our understanding effectively.

Clearly, people with same thought can lead to a better conversation. It is easy to share and analysis problems, and then gets good result. However, opponents with different perspective about the issue can give us new questions needed to research. For example, throughout history, the shape of the Earth has been debated by scientists and philosophers. Most philosophers in ancient believed that the shape of Earth was a flat. Anyway, scientists claimed that its shape had been a sphere. Up to now, the development of technology and science proved and justified this. Overall, disagreement can give a discussion that a real clarification of the topic comes out, and it is also a good way to improve knowledge.

In sum, learning from allied persons is effective and positive to gain knowledge. Nonetheless, reasoned discourse and debate between people with opposing viewpoints is the very foundation upon which human knowledge advances.