However, some conveners may choose a center chair to help facilitate discussion. Every meeting is different, depending on its leadership and participants. Keep your mouth closed till it becomes clear what's expected of you. Win your way with well-researched, concise presentations. If you take notes on a laptop, do so as quietly and unobtrusively as possible.
Some meetings are inherently confrontational.
Arguing in such a setting, however, violates the spirit of a meeting, which is to help one another understand opposing views. The hotter the meeting, the more necessary it becomes to stay cool, rational, and respectful. In a group seated around a table, everyone is in full view. That means every yawn, sigh, grimace, twitch, or doodle you make could be interpreted as signs of boredom. Leaving early could give the impression that your agenda is more important than that of other participants in a meeting.