Why should I debate?
The skills learnt through debating are many, and here are just a few:
- the confidence to speak in front of a room full of people
- the ability to present an argument persuasively
- the vision to understand that there are two sides to most arguments
- the respect for others, to let them have their say
- the sense of timing, to prioritise your material and speak in a given time period
- the structure to order your thoughts, to introduce, develop and summarise your points
- the general and specific knowledge of many current affairs topics, learnt through research and debate
- the flexibility to react quickly to new ideas, and to remain unflustered in crises
All of these skills are crucial in professional careers. All of the regular participants in school and university debating competitions have intelligence, which allied with the skills learnt from debate gives them a great basis for success in later life.
Famous Debaters
Bill Cinton - (former US President, former Lincoln-Douglas debater)
Lyndon Johnson - (former US President, former debate coach)
Brad Pitt - (Hollywood actor, high school debater)
Michael Stipe - (lead singer of REM, former NYU debater)
Ted Turner - (media mogul, former debater)
John Wayne - (actor, former debater)
Woodrow Wilson - (former US President, former debate coach)
Oprah Winfrey - (talk show host, former debater)
Content modified from original form with kind permission of English-Speaking Union.
