Ways to Disagree

So let’s just get started and talk about some phrases we can use to disagree how we can actually express our disagreement and there are a couple of simple ways we can do it.

There are many many possibilities many possible ways but we’re going to go through a couple of common phrases common phrases.

One is that we don’t we don’t see eye to eye.

If you think about it the phrase eye to eye does make sense.

My eyes lined up with your eye.

We kind of have the same view.

So you can kind of understand the idea.

It means if we say we don’t see eye to eye that we have a different opinion so let’s say two parents disagree about how to raise their children.

I think our son should study after class many many extra curricular activities.

I think he should take a lot of extra classes.

The other parent says I disagree.

I don’t think so.

We should give him more free time.

Let him play more.

We just don’t see eye to eye.

And maybe she’s saying that maybe the wife is saying that to her friends maybe the husband is saying it to his friends later.

We don’t see eye to eye about this thing.

We disagree.

Very common phrase if you do agree can you say we see eye to eye if you can.

I think we see eye to eye on this.

I think we are pretty much eye to eye on this issue.

OK my my opinion or view couldn’t be more different my opinion or view couldn’t be more different.

But this is really useful if we want to express that our opinion is so far away from the other person that it’s like the opposite end of the spectrum a spectrum is when you have one side all the way over here and this is maybe plus and one side all the way over here and this is minus and then some space in between and the space in between is kind of fuzzy.

You know this is right in the middle.

This is closer to plus this is closer to minus but it’s a kind of a mix.

OK so if I say my opinion or view couldn’t be more different that means I’m way over here and you’re way over here opposite ends of the spectrum of opinion.

If you’re here then it could be more different.

In fact should we say that it could.

It could be more different my opinion could be more different.

No we don’t usually use that expression.

We generally will say I couldn’t disagree more but we could also say I couldn’t agree more.

So sometimes if we’re completely on the same page completely on the same page that means we totally agree.

I couldn’t agree more or it’s the opposite.

My opinion couldn’t be more different.

Now what if we want to make it softer because we don’t always want to express that we have a very different view from from other people and we might want to show that we have some differences but it’s not extreme it’s not very strong.

Well we could say this is very soft.

I’m I’m not sure I see it that way.

You could also say I don’t think I don’t think I see it that way.

I just don’t see it that way.

If you want to make it very very gentle very gentle very soft very indirect you could say I’m not sure.

I’m just not sure I see it that way.

OK so for example where colleagues and one person says well you know what.

I think that we should never have to work overtime.

We’re here to work 40 hours a week 40 hours a week no more.

And another person who wants to maybe add more contribute more so that maybe the company will be more successful.

Maybe we’ll say very politely I’m not sure I see it that way.

I think if we work overtime the whole company will be more productive and we’re getting paid and we’re getting paid.

Common expressions see eye to eye or don’t see eye to eye.

I couldn’t agree more or my opinion couldn’t be more different.

I’m not sure I see it that way.

I’m not sure I see it that way.

OK.

Let’s move on and actually look at a compromise.

We’ll talk about what that means and also some phrases that we can use to express compromise.