03-Two Sticks and Three Books

In one of his lectures, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, addressing his
students, gave them some good advice:
In all probability, sensible conversation will sometimes drift into
controversy, and here many a good man runs upon a snag. The
sensible minister will be particularly gentle in argument. He,
above all men, should not make the mistake of fancying that
there is force in temper, and power in speaking angrily. A
heathen who stood in a crowd in Calcutta, listening to a
missionary disputing with a Brahmin, said he knew which was
right though he did not understand the language – he knew that
he was in the wrong who lost his temper first. For the most part,
that is a very accurate way of judging. Try to avoid debating
with people. State your opinion and let them state theirs. If you
see that a stick is crooked, and you want people to see how
crooked it is lay a straight rod down beside it; that will be quite
enough.