Wikipedia:Argue, don't opine
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Don't assert personal opinions, they don't persuade. Instead, present facts, references, reasons, and reasoning that supports a conclusion. |
Many discussions on Wikipedia often include many statements of opinion that the participant expects to be accepted as fact. This is an example of ipse dixit ("He, himself, said it"), also known as the bare assertion fallacy, a term used to identify and describe a sort of arbitrary dogmatic statement which the speaker expects the listener to accept as valid.[1]
In this collaborative, consensus-based project, it is the persuasion of others that steers discussions towards consensus. It is the merits, logic, and reliable references to an argument that make it persuasive. Unless you are a person of considerable personal influence, mere assertion of opinion or alleged fact is not very persuasive to others to change their thinking.
What matters are conclusions demonstrated to be well supported by good strong arguments comprised of facts, references, reasons and reasoning. In a discussion, don't tell us what or especially who you agree or disagree with. Instead, tell us what arguments persuade you and why.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Whitney, William Dwight. (1906). "Ipse dixit," The Century dictionary and cyclopedia, pp. 379-380; Westbrook, Robert B. "John Dewey and American Democracy," p. 359.