Debate versus Dialogue
December 22, 2024
Today, I learned that the youth debated the Statute on December 15. For years, I’ve noticed how obsessed we—especially the younger generation—are with debates. I believe this stems largely from the influence of movies portraying American university debates. There is a constant push to establish debate clubs and organize debating events.
But do we always need debates? Debates are about winning and proving your point—even if you’re wrong. With clever debating tech-niques, you can win without being right. And when someone wins without being right, everyone loses.
Consider the term “dialogue.” Like with the National Dialogue Plat-form, it's occasionally mentioned, but genuine dialogue seems be-yond our grasp. No one seems to lose sleep over that. Dialogue is different—it’s challenging. It requires letting go of rigid positions, listening, and sometimes conceding. It asks us to prioritize under-standing over winning. And maybe that’s why we avoid it.
So why are we so drawn to debating? Is it because it allows us to hold on to our sense of being right? Or is it because we fear the vul-nerability that comes with true dialogue? Perhaps it’s time to rethink what we value more: proving a point or making progress.
Miguel Goede
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