Verbal fight club
Leyla Acaroglu and I started Verbal Fight Club in 2014 after an inflight discussion about the value of good argument and how it requires practice and sometimes training.
VFC begin in Melbourne and evenings have been running here in NYC over 2014 & 2015, approximately bi-mothly - further info available here.
Consider Verbal Fight Club like free form debating - with drinks!
Nothing is too silly or serious. Favoured topics have been racism, gentrification, spiderman and all important issues such as 'cat astrology'. I'm still waiting for a smack down on Candy Crush Saga.
I also normally make popcorn.
Club rules and a moderator keep everything in line, once someone also played the banjo and summarised the arguments, in song. I don't think it'll happen again - but hey! Musical.
We are opinion shy. Public statements have become things we can erase, delete, unlike; and the people we converse with aren't always face to face. Ever broken up over text message? Avoided the issue with a carefully worded email? Changed the subject if someone questions your data (to wikipedia later). We are afraid of being wrong. We are out of practice in disagreeing. Flex your argument muscles so you'll have words when you need them.
This isn't about being right, this is about knowing your own mind.
Disagreeing. Knowing how to back down. Standing up, and speaking out loud.
About anything you like
Practice owning your own convictions.