ABSTRACT
François Cooren Although I enjoy debates and the confrontation of ideas, I also know that they
can easily become trench warfare, something that does not lead us far. In contrast, dialogues, when they really happen, constitute opportunities to not only listen to alternative viewpoints, but also enrich, better position, or even alter our own conceptions (Anderson, Baxter, & Cissna, 2004; Cissna & Anderson, 1994, 2002). They allow us, for instance, to understand what counts or matters to the other parties, something that can sometimes lead us to co-construct new paths to knowledge (Cooren, 2012).
