Discussion - a place to express your opinion or listen to another? The research revealed what Lithuanian residents think

When there is a disagreement, there is a desire to prove the rightness of one's opinion at any cost, which can very quickly turn into a heated argument. Despite the rising emotions and the desire to defend one's opinion, a discussion can help avoid a dispute - constructively teaching one's thoughts and listening to the other person's opinion in order to reach a mutual agreement. However, to discuss, as well as to understand the other, you need to pay. A representative survey of Lithuanian residents showed that almost two-thirds of the country's residents believe that a discussion is an expression of one's opinion. But what elements actually make up the debate?

Is it important to express your opinion, listen to others, and find consensus?

According to the data of the public opinion survey initiated by the discussion festival "Būtent" and conducted by "Spinter Research", almost two thirds (64%) of the respondents believe that a discussion is an expression of one's opinion. A similar proportion (57%) believe that discussion is about listening to others' opinions and only a smaller proportion (44%) of people described discussion as finding consensus. It has been observed that older and more educated people are more likely to view the discussion as an opportunity to find consensus. 46 percent think so. of the country's oldest residents and 38 percent. youth.

While it's important to voice your opinion in a discussion, it's even more important to listen politely to the other person and ultimately move toward mutual agreement. According to Arno Marcinkaus, one of the organizers of the discussion festival "Būtent!", mutual agreement is possible only when all the interlocutors participating in the discussion are in a good mood, that is, they do not seek to cause conflict or prove their rightness: "A high culture of discussion is based on openness to diversity of opinions, constructive criticism, active engagement and respectful expression of one's opinion and listening to another's opinion. Only by following these principles can we have a valuable conversation that helps us understand each other and can change not only the interlocutor's opinion, but also our own, and ultimately initiate valuable changes."

Other research participants named the discussion as generating knowledge, ideas, while the youngest (18-25) and older (46 and over) respondents more often than the middle-aged group said that the discussion is an opportunity to prove their rightness. 80 percent survey participants also tend to believe that discussions help to resolve conflicts.

A representative survey of the country's population also showed that every fifth (20%) resident of Lithuania tends to always boldly express his opinion in public debates, 33%. of the respondents tend to express their opinion boldly only when they are completely sure of it, and 24 percent. respondents express their opinion boldly only among well-known people.

The debate festival "Būtent!" invites you to express your opinion.

September 2-3 The debate festival "Būtent!" will be held in Biršton for the fourth time. It is an open, non-political, free event that unites public citizens, representatives of business, science, non-governmental organizations and politics. The purpose of the festival is to promote the culture of discussion and listening, tolerance for different points of view, civic engagement and to improve the quality of socially important decisions by bringing people together for conversation and learning in the format of discussions.

The discussion topics of this year's festival will invite a conversation about society's preparedness and resilience to crises, the war in Ukraine, digital transformation, the education system, youth involvement, climate change issues and other relevant political and social issues. It is believed that such a form of discussion, which unites public citizens, representatives of business, science, non-governmental organizations and politics on topics important to the state and which still do not find a consensus, has the potential to stimulate changes that are valuable for the development of Lithuania.