Opinion About Group Discussion & General Knowledge

In a Group Discussion, no single person imposes his or her own opinion on everyone else. It is essentially a sharing of experience, and not doing or thinking what someone else has decided beforehand that the group must of or think. When a subject is being discussed in a group and a member wants to say something about it, he has to understand clearly what he is going to say and he has to have a good idea of what he is putting forward. Other people may not agree with him and they may have their ideas and possibly very good ideas. This causes him to examine critically what he has put forward.

Perhaps, his points of view about group discussion will not hold in the light of what is said by others. He then will have to review his decisions. Thus he is led to be critical of what he thinks and say. He gets training in the art of self-examination as well as in the habit of relating his ideas to the facts of experience. This is the way in which men and women of independent thought and judgment are produced and these are the men and women which the world and our country needs so urgently now-a-days.

Every person has his own experiences. As a result of these, he can come to certain conclusions about what is right and what is wrong. His conscience has been educated to a certain extent or he may not have come to any definite conclusions and may not have a sure guide. At the same time he may not be conscious of this uncertainty. Now discussing with others a question, say, for example, the question of the right attitude to development or violence does two things for this person. In the first place, Group Discussion shows him what the experience of others has been and why they have come to certain conclusion. In doing this it throws him back on his own experience and on the conclusions he has reached. It makes him to re-examine the foundations of his own opinions.

In General views, every person should have a basic knowledge to keep their side in every group discussion, which they will face at any time or competition. This may result in a change in his opinions or the strengthening of his convictions. But in either case, he has checked up on himself and his convictions in the light of the experience of others. If this is does honestly and courageously, it always results in maturing of his own personality.
Secondly, if he has not come to fixed conclusions and convictions then Group Discussion reveals this to him and urges him to come to definite conclusions. It shows him his fogginess and helps him to clarify and make definite what he really believes. It rescues him from that dangerous condition of possessing a drifting mind. Common sense or general knowledge is very essential for these competitive quiz or exams.

“Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend”. Group Discussion shows a man how blunted his mind may be and helps him to sharpen it. So in these two ways, Group Discussion helps a person to examine himself and checks what he really believes.