[Runa216]

here is a little something I think you should all see. it's not entirely 100% pure, but it would do a lot of people good and make any forum (especially a debate forum such as this) a better place to be.


How To Debate

1: Be Calm and Polite

When engaging in a debate, always treat the opponent as an equal. Always apologize for faulty information, admit when you are wrong, and above all else, accept a compliment. If the opposing team is impressed with an argument you made, accept the compliment. A compliment by an opposing group is the highest of honours. And vice versa, if the opposing team makes a good argument, compliment them. It will make them pleased, possibly making the entire experience as a whole more pleasant and conflict free, or it could make them over-arrogant, something that any good debater can abuse.

2: Be Humble

When engaging in a debate, in no cases, do you ever get cocky. As stated in rule #1, arrogance can be exploited by a good debater. Under no circumstances do you ever claim to be a master debater, for satirical and humbling reasons. Never claim that you are incredibly intelligent, and therefore going to win. Even the most intelligent people make mistakes and can be wrong, and losing after saying this makes the humiliation worse. Always act as though the debate is for knowledge, try to gain knowledge, it will only strengthen you. Saying you have an IQ of 200 or that you are the top student in your state does nothing to prove your superiority. On the internet, anyone can claim such honors.

3: No Flames

Refer to the quote ‘He who strikes first admits their values have given out’. And on an online message board, insults are the equivalent of fists and weapons. When you resort to violence, or in this case, flames, it is really a way to admit that you are frustrated and have been presented a point that you cannot contend, and therefore you have lost. Many people succumb to this problem. Though in many debates, the opponent may appear to be ignorant, claiming so will only make you look like an equal fool for not enlightening them. A true debater can enlighten even the most ignorant of opponents, though it’s extremely hard when the opponent is ignoring all your points. (Usually this means they do not agree with you and are not considering these points valid, or so they say.)

4: Use Common Sense

Though facts are a very good, and often indisputable tool for debates, no debate is complete without some form of opinion or common sense thrown in. Without any form of opinion, we all become mindless machines and we lose our integrity. If you don’t agree with what you are debating, or do not feel the facts are valid, then the debate is likely to falter. Always remember, just because it’s true, doesn’t mean it’s right. Look at the law, people are getting away with things that they should be going to jail, because according to the justice system, he was not right to be convicted. The point? Without opinion, facts have no substance, so no matter what you debate, always give an explanation or an opinion of some sort. Many master debaters would tell you otherwise, but we all know that doesn’t work in the real world. Have some personality

5: Present New Points

One major problem with modern debaters is that they are so set in their ways, that they will try to repeat what they have said over and over again to drill it into your head. This may seem on the surface a sound method, but it just makes the perpetrator look like a fool. It makes them look ignorant, and it makes them look like they haven’t read all the previous material. Another problem is that people often bring up points that the opponent has already denounced or explained and debated against. If the opponent says that green is the best because blue sucks, then don’t respond claiming blue to be great without giving evidence or supporting arguments equally as against green as green had used against blue. Sometimes it would appear that you can use an argument that you used in the past to debate the new points. This is a toss up, in some situations, don’t, they’ve already lost. But in most cases, it’s okay to repeat as long as you relate it to the new material.

6: Look At All angles

No matter what the topic, unless you can somehow roleplay and look at it from the opponent’s point of view, you don’t stand a chance. If you just go in, propaganda blazing, then you make yourself look like a fool and you look ignorant. By looking at each side of an argument before making any assumption, you will look more knowledgeable and you will appear to have thought about the situation before choosing a side. If you can admit that the opponent has some good points, then you look humble and honest, and you look intelligent. Above all else, if you can see all sides of the argument, you can.....

7: ...Think Ahead

In any situation, you need to think three moves ahead of the opponent to win. If you can make arguments and see any holes, fill them up. If you see flaws to your arguments or you can see a point that the opponent might use to counter your argument, then you can state them and counter them again. Doing this pretty much dominates the argument. I’ve won many debates using this method. By nipping all the arguments in the bud and debating them all yourself, you own the competition and the audience will have to agree with you, because you made all the points and you gave the explanation, so they have to believe you. Mind you, this tactic is not foolproof, because you have to get all the points, if you miss one, then that is a proverbial chink in the armor that the competition can exploit. So, if you can look at all angles, make points and counterpoints yourself, and think three steps ahead, then you can crush nearly any opponent. It makes you look smarter, it makes it look as though you’ve actually thought about the situation in it’s entirety, and it makes people understand more.

Runa