Essays, technical articles, Japanese study journals and notes by Ashleigh Garnett.https://ashleigh-garnett.pages.dev/en-gbhttps://ashleigh-garnett.pages.dev/notes/a-question-before-an-opinion/https://ashleigh-garnett.pages.dev/notes/a-question-before-an-opinion/A fictional notebook prompt about political disagreement and the value of defining terms before a conversation begins.Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT<p>What does each speaker mean by the same word?</p> <p>This fictional note proposes a small reading exercise: before deciding whether an argument is persuasive, write down its central terms. Words such as <em>freedom</em>, <em>security</em> and <em>community</em> may carry different assumptions from one paragraph to the next.</p> <p>The exercise does not settle a disagreement. It gives the disagreement a clearer starting point.</p>