What is the point to “starting with what others are saying”? In considering the reading, what are some potential benefits in everyday life to starting with someone else is saying?
12 thoughts on “Response to “They Say: Starting with What Others Are Saying””
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“Starting with what others are saying” focuses on how to start a proper argument. It is easy to state your claim and provide evidence for why it is sound but oftentimes people forget to address a counterclaim. The passage states that a speaker should state their claim first and quickly and then go on to state some counterclaims. The passage also gives starter sentences that prove useful when addressing “they”. In everyday life it is useful to address other people’s thoughts as it can help when confronting someone or trying to win an argument. In every day life it is common for people to have conflicting thoughts either at work or at school and so it is useful to have this style of argument in mind.
In the reading, the author highlights the importance of relaying information from others to creating their own argument because context provides the best backbone to one’s argument. The reading presents a hypothetical situation where Dr. X makes an argument in which some do not understand because he does not connect his points to other aspects. “Starting with what others are saying” may be beneficial to everyday life because it enhances others’ understanding. Using information from others can help strengthen people’s arguments and take out the subjectivity of their argument.
“Starting with What Others Are Saying” focuses on starting an argument by not only including your thesis, but also the larger conversation that the thesis responds to. The passage brings up a situation where Dr.X brings upon an important argument with important details, however the audience is left to question the whole point of his argument as he does not seem to be responding to anything. Thus, teaching us a lesson to include other viewpoints of an argument when we provide our argument. This can be beneficial as it not only allows the audience to have a better focus and understanding of our argument but it also strengthens our argument as we will be considered as a more trustworthy and credible source.
The point of starting with what others are saying is to give the audience context as to what the purpose behind the speech/writing is and to explain what motivated its creation in the first place. This method will help to keep the audience captivated because otherwise, they may feel unsure of what the speaker/writer is talking about. Some benefits in everyday life to starting with someone else is saying is that it can make you look like “someone who knows the subject and therefore is likely to be a reliable, trustworthy guide” (26). Another benefit is that summarizing someone else’s views means that they would be putting down the framework and clarification for the issue you are speaking on.
The point of “starting with what others are saying” is to give your thesis context. The thesis would essentially be responding to be a larger conversation. Your argument will be clearer to those that are not familiar with the topic if you restate what others have previously said. A benefit of starting with what someone else said is that it makes your argument stronger (27). You will offer your stance in the matter and illustrate why they are incorrect. Another benefit is that the person you are talking to will remember what motivated you in the first place to speak about the topic.
Bringing up what other’s have to say acknowledges that there are more senior voices on the topic. It also acknowledges that there are other arguments out there. At the same time bringing up what another person has to say allows a person to obscure an argument. This is done in political debates but in a more respectable setting like a paper, one can still weaken an opposing argument. It is just more respectable to prove an argument wrong with one’s own sound arguments. This is just a way that shows that you have also done your research on something by having sources, quotes, and just simply what others are saying. It’s important to make sure people just aren’t spouting nonsense.
The point to “starting with what others are saying” is that it can be used to strengthen your argument. Using informations from others could be used to help your argument. For example, some potential benefits in everyday life to starting with someone else is saying is that it makes your information seem more reliable and that you know what you’re trying to say, and that you’re not just making random stuff up.
The focus of “Starting with What Others Are Saying” is to focus on the bigger picture, and take into account of the audience’s perspective, instead of just narrowing it down to your own views. Essentially, you need to be able to take into account the different possibilities that exist, as well as acknowledge them. The part that I found would be particularly beneficial is “by reminding readers of the ideas you’re responding to, return sentences ensure that your text maintains a sense of urgency from start to finish”, or return sentences. They allow you to not only maintain your own views, but connect them to those of the audience. By doing so, you are persuading your audience, but not blatantly rejecting them, creating a calmer acceptance.
In life it is beneficial when conversing with someone to start with what they are saying first because you will have a deeper understanding of the other person’s viewpoint. If you are wrong when relaying that information back to the person then you know there is still something you’re not understanding and you can ask them to explain their viewpoint once more. In the article “Starting with what others are saying” the key point is in the beginning of an essay, blog, book, or speech you are creating, you should explain your viewpoint and the history behind it. Explain why it’s so important and any opposing ideas against it. If you skip this step readers/listeners can get confused by what you are saying because there is no meaning or context behind it.
The point of “starting with what others are saying” is to emphasize the importance of rehashing concepts that have already been established that pertains to the topic that you are speaking about. In doing so, you will provide a strong foundation and context upon which you can build your argument upon. This helps your argument avoid becoming redundant. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of properly structuring your argument; to lead the argument with your thesis. This is important because doing so establishes a sense of direction for your argument as well as declare the purpose of your argument in relation to the topic that it is addressing. By using this practice in daily life, I think that one of the benefits that you could take away from this is that it is going to help you become a more concise, comprehensive speaker and writer; both are great assets to have in team based work settings.
The point of “starting with what others are saying” is mainly to contextualize what you are saying with the already existing literature on the subject. It is necessary to discuss the larger conversation that your thesis is responding to as a means of not only helping the audience understand your argument better, but also so that you are able to present your ideas more coherently as a writer.
In everyday life, starting with what others were saying is very useful in engaging larger groups of people. You are able to make whatever you choose to say much more accessible to others and also help those who may already know the context understand you that much better. It is also necessary in longer conversations to be able to always be aware of what others have said so that you don’t end up repeating previous points and confusing others.
When making an argument we are entering a bigger conversation, for we need to start with “what others are saying” so the audience is able to learn what others have said about the topic, and to know where is the conversation at. Before you make your own claim is important to acknowledge “what others are saying” because it shows that you have researched the topic, understood it, and that you are able to respond to the bigger question. Also, it means that you are able to use those ideas and findings in your own way by either agreeing, disagreeing or having a new stand. In everyday life, to start with “what others are saying” is a good point of departure for any claim because it gives a context to the conversation, and also it makes clear that you are not only giving your observation about a subject, you are contributing with what is your opinion on the subject.