Supporting

Description

One of the things you can do during a conversation is to provide support to a person or an argument.

Supporting an argument

Supporting an argument may be done by providing evidence or data that agrees with the argument. You can also connect data with reasoning, for example by showing cause and effect.

Supporting the person

Supporting the person may be done by supporting their arguments. An important further way of supporting people is by giving them emotional support. This is particularly helpful when they are feeling stressed.

Discussion

Arguments are not the same as assertion, where the truth is claimed. Arguments need to show how they are based in facts and evidence, and how these lead to reasonable conclusions. In short, arguments need lots of support.

Supporting people can be quite different to supporting argument as one is logical and the other is emotional. With people, you can do both, though when you support the argument of other people, then you are also supporting the person, which has an emotional component.

You can also give others moral and emotional support by offering agreement and sympathy, even if you do not feel this is necessary. In practice, emotional support of others can be very powerful as this creates an obligation for them to support you in return, which can include agreeing with your arguments.

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Supporting

Description

Supporting an argument

Supporting the person

Example

Discussion

See also

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Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And