In "The Argument Culture," by Deborah Tannen, Tannen logically and rationally states her opinions regarding the way individuals talk to one another. This piece of work is more than just opinionated. Deborah Tannen artistically lists ways to go about transitioning into more of a dialogue culture. Backing up her ideas and opinions, Tannen uses concrete evidence to fully support her in a way that makes arguments against her moot. Tannen approaches the subject of society being in an argument culture, so that her readers will be able to comprehend where she is coming from; explaining it to a degree that would be relatable to her audience, Deborah Tannen appears as a friendly, trustworthy, and academically inclined writer. Tannen ingeniously voices her feelings about the argument culture in a way that is appealing to her audience, which makes it easy to agree with her theory, and could possibly be the beginning of the change she highly encourages all of humanity to make. .
Deborah Tannen describes the interaction between the human races as a dilemma that needs alterations for our own sake. Tannen states "The argument culture urges us to approach the world, and the people in it, in an adversarial frame of mind. It rests on the assumption that opposition is the best way to get anything done: The best way to discuss an idea is to set up a debate; the best way to cover news is to find spokespeople who express the most extreme, polarized views and present them as "both sides"; the best way to settle disputes is litigation that pits one party against the other; the best way to begin an essay is to attack someone; and the best way to show you're really thinking is to criticize." (Tannen 404). Tannen words this quote like so that it is difficult to not fathom how disconcerting the way human communication has diminished. Deborah Tannen uses solid evidence throughout her article, which means she applies more of an ethical appeal, or ethos, in her work.
