At times I disagree with something the professor or another student has said. How can I raise an objection without attacking them personally?
It’s important to be able to criticize someone’s argument without attacking them personally; there are a number of ways to do this. Consider, for example, these verbal substitutions: “Your claim seems to be that” rather than “You believe that.” “I disagree with the claim that.” rather than “I disagree with you.” “You may have made a mistake” rather than “You’re wrong” Additionally, one can criticize someone’s position by emphasizing both the areas that are shared in common as well as the points of difference. Too often, criticism only contains those points where there is abject disagreement. Usually, there is much common ground that can be usefully explored as well.
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