Debating skills - Introduction

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a debate

is a discussion of a theme or question

between

two or more interlocutors in a formal

debate

the theme or question is called emotion

the motion

is usually controversial and has no

clear

or correct answer an example of emotion

might be

everybody should get universal basic

income

two teams will then argue for or against

the motion the party for or in favor of

the motion

is called the proposition the party

against

or opposed to the motion is called the

opposition

each team is usually given equal time to

present their argument

which usually includes an introduction

reasons with examples or evidence and a

conclusion

at the end of the debate a neutral third

party

usually a judge or committee will decide

the winner

the winning team is the team that

delivers the most cogent

convincing argument whether the judge

personally agrees with the motion is not

relevant

to determining the winner in fact the

teams are typically assigned their

position at random

which means they may need to debate in

favor of emotion

with which they personally disagree

the word debate comes from the latin

verb

patere meaning to fight the practice

goes back

thousands of years to ancient greece and

india

where debate was considered essential to

a functioning democracy

the debate structure used today first

took form in the early 18th century

england

the fundamental skills necessary to

debate also apply to many

other aspects of life the ability to

think critically

and analyze a problem the ability to

present your thoughts logically and

elegantly

the ability to speak confidently in

public

and the ability to listen carefully and

interpret information quickly

are crucial skills for any leader

academic

researcher or artist

debating a position you might not

personally agree with

also helps you to develop empathy and

broaden your worldview

as you train for debate you will learn

how to analyze a problem

form a persuasive argument respond to

counter arguments

and ask questions along the way you'll

also discover new information

meet new people and gain new

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perspectives