Lawyers, activists, and politicians may come to mind as people who often create arguments and make a stand for an idea. Yet, it is likely that everyone at some point has encountered pushback on an idea and needed to convince an audience of the validity of that idea. Think about a time when you took a stand to defend an idea against an unreceptive or defensive audience. It may have been at work, school, home, or in your community. It does not necessarily need to be a life-changing situation, but a situation that you needed to gather your thoughts and convey them in a compelling way, either through writing or spoken-word. With this situation in mind, respond to the following questions:
• What idea or stance did you need to defend?
• What were the characteristics of those opposing you?
• How did you make your argument? Was the argument effective?
• What did you learn from this experience?