Today's Hours:
"In a position argument, your purpose is to present a perspective, or viewpoint, about a debatable issue and persuade readers that your perspective is correct or at least worthy of serious consideration. A debatable issue is one that is subject to uncertainty or to a difference of opinion; in college classes, a debatable issue is one that is complex and involves critical thinking."
- Binder, L., Fields, A., Holcombe, A., Jordan, J., Lopez, K., Malaney, L., Myers, L., Reynolds, R., & Tenorio, D. (2024). Position Argument. https://nmoer.pressbooks.pub/unmcorewriting/chapter/position-argument/
We are ALL 'biased'. That is, we all have our own personal biases - our beliefs about ourselves, the world around us, and what 'authorities' and sources of information we are likely to listen to, trust and believe. These beliefs are so much a part of us that we often don't question them.
However...part of learning how to be a good debater, how to write an effective argument paper, or how to create a convincing presentation about a controversial topic, is to take the time to learn about and understand all sides of an argument (and there are often more than just two!). Sometimes this information may challenge our own long-held beliefs, and even make us feel uncomfortable.
When you know you will be exploring inevitably biased information, you may also want to review: Checking on the Reliability of Online Information