Sounds ironic, as I've been engaging in debates these past couple of weeks. It's also not because I can't win one.
Sure, debates do create healthy discussions and are sometimes necessary.
And we often want to show that we're right. But most of the time, debates breed animosity against the other "team", even if most of us won't admit it. I, myself, have experienced a sort of hatred to my friends who were "from the other side of the camp." It became a raging war against who's right and who's wrong to the point that the debate became personal. Nothing really is happening, no one is winning. Both ends are still clinging to their own point-of-views. So what's the point of arguing? In reality, both parties are on the losing end, since there wasn't really a genuine change of heart from both ends of the spectrum. Rather, there was a change of heart not for the better, but for the worse.
Lastly, whenever you engage in debates, don't you experience a heavy, sinking feeling deep inside? I do.
So next time I step in another debate, I'll have to ask this question, "what will I get out of this?" Will I garner friendship and establish rapport with my friends and/or classmates? Or will I just conjure antagonism?
I guess I'll just limit debates inside the academe. hehehe
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