When a discussion is unproductive, incivility is often blamed, but this puts the cart before the horse: incivility is often a result of unproductive discussion, not its cause.
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Productive discussion demands going beyond civility: while civility is very important, four other patterns of behavior are just as important to reaching a productive outcome:
The point of any discussion is to get to a resolution. If you ignore precedent, employ a logical fallacy, stray into meta-discussion, or argue by exhaustion, you make a productive outcome less likely. If you knowingly do any of these things, you are not acting in good faith, even if you remain civil. So repeat these rules to yourself like a mantra: Acknowledge precedent. Avoid logical fallacies. Don't go meta. Don't repeat yourself.
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