“One of the greatest values of controversy is its revealing nature by which socially valuable differences register themselves for the enrichment of all concerned.”
“Through the give and take of conflict, people shed their illusions and assumptions of each other and can come to know and understand their opponents’ actual positions and needs.”
“Students who…have had significant opportunities in school to participate in thoughtful discussion of conflictual social issues in open, inclusive classroom climates tend to exhibit democratically relevant understandings, skills and dispositions.”
“Higher curiosity was also associated with a more positive affective state, namely enjoyment, and was inversely related to a negative affective state, frustration.”
“Even when their teachers prefer to avoid addressing conflictual issues, students…describe the rare occasions when conflicts are discussed as their most meaningful classroom experiences.”
“Curiosity can positively contribute to numerous positive youth outcomes, including…concentration…questioning, increased school engagement, and deeper learning skills.”
“Schools and universities must early on encourage intellectual hunger and not exclusively reward the acquiescent application of intelligence and effort”
“Behavioral results from two studies revealed that states of high curiosity enhance not only learning of interesting information, but also learning of incidental material.”
“Dialogue and debate among contrasting and conflicting views sharpens understanding of one’s own position, fosters learning from other perspectives, and promotes the humble recognition that competing orientations have many advantages of their own.”