S
Society
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I've often noticed that ENTP's tend to argue things tooth and bone even if they know in their hearts that they may be wrong about something.
its actually when i think i am probably wrong that i have the highest expectations of the other side's counter arguments, the lighter a rock is the more surprising it is when it does't get kicked once you put it in someone's way.
for me, this goes hand in hand with getting closer to the truth: the most trustworthy explanations are the ones that would break at the slightest sign of being incorrect, and are given as many opportunities to do so - it also helps if i make sure there are those who'd be invested in breaking it (thus finding someone to argue about it with). i suppose this makes me seem quite fickle, as it makes the road from devil advocacy to advocacy is a very short one.
essentially, i trust fragility.
Argumentation is not only seen as a tool for greater understanding but also a battle of intellects: the ENTP's intellect vs. the other person's intellect, and I know that if there is one thing that ENTP's hate, it is to look like a fool intellectually.
this is consistent with the intellectual-ego explanation, but it brings to mind a different possibility altogether:
what if the overarching principle isn't the answer to why we argue, but rather, the simple fact we do so?
think about it: you can be a crafter to make your own tools, you can be a crafter to make a living and feed your family, you can be a crafter to compete against others of your trade and show off, you can be a crafter for the innovation opportunities, you can be a crafter for the zen like experience of it.... but in all of those cases, the main reason you became a crafter isn't any of those - you became a crafter because you were good with your hands. it sounds shallow compared to all the other reasons, but its essential to our nature - humans use their strengths, skills and talents like a peacock uses it's tail. the justifications and choice to keep doing it come later.
maybe we simply find reasons to do it because.. we're good at it.