One method, which he had developed during his mock debates with John Collins in Boston and then when discoursing with Keimer, was to pursue topics through soft, Socratic queries. That became the preferred style for Junto meetings. Discussions were to be conducted "without fondness for dispute or desire of victory." Franklin taught his friends to push their ideas through suggestions and questions, and to use {or at least feign} naïve curiosity to avoid contradicting people in a manner that could give offense.
( Walter Isaacson )
[ Benjamin Franklin: An American ]
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