Debates.

[Voltekka_MK3]

Does anyone ever feel very excited or pumped whenever a debate happens?

I also love looking and reading about techniques used in debating because to me debating is like a chess match but with words, you have to play your pieces correctly. Whenever debating, when I use a strong piece of evidence combined with reason and logic to disprove someones point and succeed.

It is a very wonderful sensation that happens to me. I loved debates ever since I was born and It has only grown significantly over the years.

I also love anything which requires strategy and critical thinking to solve a problem or to defeat an opponent.

Whenever there's a debate, I have a massive grin which everyone notices in the class. That's when I become very combative and eager to start the debate. When I am in the debate however, I am very cold and emotionless, just taking the facts,logic,reason and my list of logical fallacies and mercilessly debate the opponent until the truth comes out which is possible to me being wrong (I win like 95% of debates, I do lose though because there are opponents who are better than me).

 

[apsie]

I feel the same way, with 1 major difference.
Its just a simple fact that I know a whole lot more then the usual person, however, its rare to find someone who appreciates just that.
When people are wrong, I can prove them wrong in many different ways. This is when 90% of the time they get emotional and simply refuse to see the facts for what they are.

I tend to avoid debating nowdays, because whats the point.

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

apsie I guess i go to a place where there are some intelligent people which have the same level of intelligence or higher to mine which they are usually rare to find somewhere else, most of them are highly mature and can accept that they are wrong just like me. But when its the usual person, they do get emotional and upset when I prove them wrong but usually they also embarrass themselves and people usually laugh at them.

Whenever they deny the facts, (usually in the classroom) I use Google, prove them wrong and they're suddenly silent.

But I just have a "justice reflex" which basically means, whenever someone is wrong or lies I immediately call them out on it.

 

[bentHnau]

Does anyone ever feel very excited or pumped whenever a debate happens?

Not really, I kind of used to have that but it's more like apprehension. I don't have anywhere to go to get a decent debate anymore; most people just get upset, hurl insults, ignore or dismiss what I say if I disagree with them. Those who attempt to engage have horrificly poor reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, so very little actual debate occurs; mostly I end up correcting their stupid mistakes and saying "that's not what I said," again and again.

There were almost no debates in my classes. I only remember one, in a summer school history class.

But I just have a "justice reflex" which basically means, whenever someone is wrong or lies I immediately call them out on it.

Me, too, but I'm learning to ignore it because people don't care to be corrected.

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

bentHnau I can relate. But the justice reflex is something that I just can't seem to stop and deep-down its part of my personality.

In my College however, most people enjoy my debates and surprisingly listen and take the facts in. If people get upset however, I really doesn't bother me and only tells me more about their character.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Debates are boring. To me it's just ego stroking, power struggles, and mud-slinging, with very little actual fact involved. I'd rather have an impromptu study session with someone who cares more about learning than proving themselves right.

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

Debates are boring. To me it's just ego stroking, power struggles, and mud-slinging, with very little actual fact involved. I'd rather have an impromptu study session with someone who cares more about learning than proving themselves right.

May I ask what debates you have watched or seen?

Ego Stroking:

I don't Ego stroke in debates and most debates I see are mainly about discussing issues and problems logically with people accepting that they're wrong and mainly focusing on the truth. When I am in debates, Its not about " I am right". I just like to have a discussion about certain problems using facts and trying to actually solve the problem by seeing things from the other side and seeing the truth.

But I like watching very serious intellectual debates, I dislike debates where there are ignorant people turning it into a shouting match and as you said, an Ego-Stroking match. If I had a choice between debating someone who is ignorant or someone who is highly intelligent and accepts the truth without acting like a child, I choose the intelligent person because they may know something I don't and may give me a whole new perspective on something with some facts.

Mud Slinging:

I don't sling mud in a match because as said before, I am cold and emotionless and only use logic,reason and facts whenever I am debating someone. If they insult me then that's a win for me because if someone proves someone else wrong with facts,logic and reason and the person who was proven wrong instead insults them, that's a victory, the insulter lost.

But then again I watch and love seeing intellectual debates where both sides have very good points and where both sides can discuss things peacefully.

Proving themselves Right:

I won't deny that this does happen in certain debates because lets face it, everyone has some form of bias. But the debates I see actually involve quite a lot of modesty and people actually admitting they're wrong at a certain part of the debate. I am a person who accepts mistakes with grace and if someone has logically proven me wrong with facts, I will peacefully admit that I am wrong and simply move on.

However, In a casual debate or shouting contest. This is where I have to agree that it is basically a bunch of people shouting at themselves.

For me, I want the truth. The truth can come from any mouth, the truth is my main priority. Also I don't care about being right because I don't think being wrong and admitting your wrong is bad. If say, I say something wrong (I have a habit of doing this) I usually ask the person to correct me because I can be wrong what I say in a debate and prefer to be corrected and prefer to be honest.

Also I prefer debates rather than someone telling you something because there can be completely different perspectives which can bring up valid points from either side.

But that's just me. Debates are something I adore and would say that it is in my genes to argue if something doesn't seem right. I also put skepticism on a pedestal since It is something very important to me since the reason why I like debates is because I want to ask questions and question a lot of things, it gets me closer to the truth quicker and it gets me thinking a lot more about a lot of things.

But that's my take on it.

 

[Cali Cat]

I like debates for many of the same reasons you do, but I'm a bit of a wuss. I prefer to watch them rather than participate. I get tough-tied in verbal debates. Vocalizing my point is difficult for me, but I can easily trash someone who is spouting irrational rhetoric with a logical written response. I used to have the "justice reflex" too; but, I've tried to tone it down because I realize it is appreciated by others when they are allowed to "save face." Now, I can correct someone when they're wrong without being so direct about it. However, if they are actually lying, then they deserve to be called on carpet for it.

 

[AsheSkyler]

May I ask what debates you have watched or seen?

Political debates, debates in my composition class when I was going to college, a few in church when I went, and of course internet arguments pretending to be a debate. None of which was worth the time wasted on it since the players involved were just out to prove their point and only asked questions they felt would support their point. I've never watched you so I'm not familiar with how you are, but the others I've seen had no interest in the truth outside of what they perceived to be the truth.

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

AsheSkyler I see. I live in the UK though so that's probably it since its quite different here. Politics are a joke so I don't really get involved with politics. In My College there is a guy who is equally intelligent on an intellectual level and whenever we debate its very calm and rational and ends with either agreement,disagreement or neither. But I usually watch debates related to Science,Technology,Philosophy,Physics and etc. subjects similar to those because its most of the time a good amount of passionate people sharing and accepting each others differing points without shouting at each other but talking like civilized people.

Also, about Internet arguments. The internet is humongous, that's not to say that there are shouting matches online, but when it depends on what websites you go for to debates.

When I debate, I want the discussion to be very calm, rational and open. I am very cold and logical when it comes to debates and If I slip up I immediately apologize. If my opponent is aggressive/upset, I still remain very cold,calm and rational. Whenever a point is made, I see the facts if it is true. If I am wrong, my opponent gets the point, if I win, I get the point, If we're both wrong neither wins nor loses.

Sage advice for debates is to always, no matter what subjects, always research the subject you are debating to the maximum. I have made this become my reflex, If I barely know anything about something related to the debate, I don't go on the debate but do my research heavily for a week and then comeback for the debate. I also obsessively double check my facts and try to use multiple sources to determine if the facts are even true, because facts,reason and logic win debates.

I also obsessively check every single logical fallacy to its fullest detail and try to see if the person who outlined the logical fallacies committed one himself.

 

[AsheSkyler]

By this point, it'll always be a glorified argument to me. I've only ever seen one or two civil debates. I'll always advocate a study session since there isn't an agenda involved.

 

[wyverary]

If anyone is interested in debating, there's a podcast I listen to occasionally called Intelligence Squared US (I think it's a spinoff of a British series of the same name). I've heard a few duds, but I've also heard some highly informed, intelligent, and respectful debates. (If you're an American and sick of everyone screaming at each other about Obamacare, check out that episode.)

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

wyverary I see. Thanks I will check this out .

AsheSkyler Each to their own I guess.

 

[Dox47]

Debating on the internet can be fun, if you're honest with yourself up front that you're not going to actually change minds, and can remain detached enough to not let it take over your life. The biggest problem I run into is people who don't know how to argue correctly, and constantly commit gross logical fallacies or lapse into personal attacks trying to "win", which has led me to adopt what I call a street fighting debate stance, where if someone won't engage my points properly, I'll use that fact to undermine their personal credibility and call their reasoning abilities into question. It's not my first choice, I'd much rather go point by point with someone who's actually going to think and respond, but that's relatively rare, especially with the topics I debate, so I do a lot of pointing out how little people know about the things they feel strongly about.

 

[Voltekka_MK3]

Dox47 I can relate. Though I debate more IRL, but If I debate on the net I debate as I would IRL. I always have a list of fallacies that I look at and see if my points or my opponents points are incorrect by checking if they have any fallacies. But your correct about not changing people's minds, I've encountered this many times, but at least you plant some seeds in their heads (The zealots who will defend anything). To me questioning (not loaded questioning, honest questioning) seems to be the most effective on them because if they give you a strong emotional response, it means the question worked. I question myself quite frequently which makes me think a lot, It can fortify what I am doing or it can show me a whole completely different meaning to something or it could point out my faults.

 

[Dox47]

Questions are definitely a good technique, especially if the person you're arguing with doesn't seem to have fully thought through the implications of what they're saying. It's also economical, as asking the question is quick and easy, where as answering it in a satisfactory manner is usually more complicated and time consuming, which is tactically advantageous.