| : Καλησπέρα. Αυτή είναι η δεύτερη version of the speech we're about to do to you, right? So we have this like first draft, which was way too formal for this occasion. And we decided to just impromptu like have our speech on stage. And that's where we can connect better with the audience and show you why we enjoy debating this much. Debating has been one of those experiences as a young person. And I think that's one of the reasons why we're here today. And I think that's one of the reasons why we're here today. Debating has been one of those experiences that has transformed our lives for the better. And it actually is an opportunity for us, but also for each and every one of you. And as we are both coaches to young children, and we have convinced them that debate is an opportunity for them, we will try to do the same with you. And what better way to do that than with an actual debate speech? So as we would do in any actual debate, we will follow this structure. We will have a definition in our speech. Secondly, we will have some rebuttal. And thirdly, two main arguments. So, stuff not in our speech. We are not talking about things like the beautiful people here at TEDx promised on their website. We probably won't be discussing anything about the refugee crisis. I don't know why people think we're like experts on that. We just want to debate about it. So in the same way that winning a debate about the Constitution doesn't make me the next Supreme Court Justice of the United States, in the same way we know less than most experts on this issue. So today our only goal is going to be to convince you that debating is a fantastic opportunity for you, your personal lives, your professional careers, and your roles as an educator, as many people inside here have. So first things first. Although we don't really want to teach you how to debate, we do need to clarify what the debate that we're doing actually is in order for all of us to be like on the same page. So to have a debate, you need three things. First thing, we need to have emotion, which is basically just a fancy word to say a topic which we are called to discuss. So there are some very basic, ordinary debates that we have been bored of hearing about. For example, whether euthanasia should be allowed or whether the death penalty ought to be reinstated. But we can also discuss on more complicated issues which demand very specific knowledge on some of them. For example, in Thessaloniki, we were called to debate on an issue we had probably zero knowledge about, which was the relations between the U.S. and China in Eastern Asia. In any case, however, an effort is made to make sure that all of those motions are balanced and fair. That means that both sides have an equal say and solid arguments. So the second thing we need to have a debate is all of you people, right? We need people to actually speak at these debates. So these people we call speakers and organize them according to particular debate speaking format, the most usual of which is called the British parliamentary format. We won't get to the technicalities about what that is. Basically, all formats are a way of dividing the speakers into two sides in order for them to be able to yell at each other with some structure within the debate. So at the end, you have both sides. They alternate speaking for seven minutes, about seven minutes in most tournaments, and they give their own arguments and try to disprove the arguments of the opposing side. So how well they did this is judged by the judges. So obviously, in every room, there is a number of judges, usually not a number because we do not want to have ties, and they award the positions of the teams in the debate. Now, what really is a judge? In the debate world, a judge is supposed to be the average educated voter. That means that when they judge the debate, they should not use some extra knowledge they have, for example, from the profession or even from common logic. We have both been in very strange debates where we hear very paradoxical statements, but unless someone in the debate calls that statement up and challenges it, then we must accept it as true, even if it's as ridiculous as tomatoes can fly. We're not supposed to remake the argument, but we have to hear exactly what the debaters say. So now that we're done with the boring stuff, let's move on to actually convincing you how great an opportunity debating really is. But before we really look at our two main arguments, let's just look at some misconceptions that all of you might have about what debating is. This, in a normal debate room, would be called rebuttal. So, misconception number one, and we've heard this a lot. So what you're doing is what the ancient Greeks invented and promoted as the rhetoric art? Not quite, right? I mean, debating is certainly in part what we call the rhetoric art, but it's a much more like specific thing inside what is the rhetoric art. So for example, in debating to prove stuff, we don't accept argument by authority. Our argument stands because a law or statistics or, let's say, God said so, that shouldn't win over any judges. Very similarly, emotion also plays a very less significant part than you might think. So things like war or torture or human suffering while are terrible and are good emotional triggers to underline your points, you still kind of need to prove why all of these are bad, right? So under a utilitarian perspective, a war can still be just and can still serve in the long run to save more lives on like a scale or something like that. So in the end, debate uses only what we call in our taught as epiklysis logiki, which is logical argumentation, and not all the rest which make up what the ancient Greeks called the rhetoric art. Misconception number two. What I'm doing is an ethical search for the truth. Well, again, not quite. Debate is not about finding this abstract notion of the truth. In fact, in many ways, through debates, we reject this principle, this one and absolute truth, because we are called to advocate two extreme opposite views, and we realize empirically through practice that there is no single truth, but there are solid points in every one of the arguments and views that exist. After all, debate is a competition, and we should not try to reach a mutual conclusion, but to prove that one side is more solid, is stronger than the other. So misconception number three, and this is really bad. What you're doing is what our political leaders do during televised debates. Okay, really, really don't say this ever to any debater. Chances are they will get really angry at you for saying that, right? Even in the most advanced countries, like, let's say, the United States of America, most political debates just boil down to a series of talking points, gotcha questions, personal attacks, sweeping statements, and or blatantly false campaign promises. So at the end of it all, this does happen due to the competition that exists in our political field, which does exist in debate as well, but to a lesser extent, right? We still remain like young people having a heated conversation with each other at the end of the day. We are not politicians, we do not bear the weight of actual decision making, nor of any campaign promises or campaign donors. We also kind of have judges, so what we say is like actually facts checked and held up to a minimal standard of logic and reality, something that, like, might be missing in our political process most of the time. So after all this, after we've rebutted your misconceptions, let's move on to what we would call in a debate the core argument, the constructive case. So first argument is very practical, right? It's how you as a person or a professional can make yourself better through debate. Oh, okay, anyway. So, let's move on. Subpoint one, how debate helps us challenge our preconceived notions, even our very own. So, when you're coming into a debate, it's perfectly normal to have an already formed opinion on what the issue is, and that's okay. But after the debate, that may completely alter after you have heard what the other side has to offer. But even more than that, through debate, because exactly we need to support a view, we first need to deconstruct it, to look at its flaws and its weaknesses, and in that way we can make it better and we can defend ourselves against attacks from the opposite team. And debate as a system, as a community, makes debate challenge everything, every preconceived notion with the help of logic. No argument is taken for granted, but everything has to be questioned. We have to look at its merits and its weaknesses, and see if it still stands after that. And that is especially the case for societal prejudices and stereotypes. Through debating, and through the mere realization that debate just makes total sense and inequality doesn't, debate has become more open and more accepting to different ideas. For example, in many debates which concern LGBTQ rights, or the relation between genders, arguments that rely on stereotypes or traditional gender roles are weak and do not win the debate. So, second sub-point of this argument, seeing both sides of an issue. How debate does this is really obvious. At some point you'll enter a debate room, you'll have the side in the motion that you just can't see how that side even exists as logical argumentation, and you're going to really badly lose from the opposing side. But after a while, you get this sense and experience to see both sides in each argument. How does this really help you in your daily lives? Two ways. It helps you have a cordial discussion. Because when you discuss with your friends or coworkers or family, you really need to be able to step into that person's shoes or understand their logic, to be able to gauge their motivations in a way in order to get what they're saying and to be able to have that personal and true connection and discussion. The second way is a bit more cheeky, let's say. If you manage all that, it's way more easy to, if not directly, manipulate people to make them see your viewpoint a bit better. Many times in business decisions or political decisions, it's very easy for somebody who has done debate to be able to check the motivations and emotions behind other people, to be able to convince them of his side. And subpoint three, which is apt benefits that debate provides us with. Before starting debate, I really couldn't imagine myself standing in this very stage and speaking to that crowd. But through debate, you develop this benefit of public speaking. And after just a few debates, trust me, the idea of getting on the stand and speaking in front of people will no longer seem particularly harrowing. But public speaking is a broader concept than simply not being embarrassed in front of crowds. It also means being able to persuade people using logic arguments but also with your body language, your movements, your manner of speaking. And also what is very important in debate and how it teaches you empirically how important cooperation and teamwork are. We have both been with several debate partners and we have managed to distinguish between cooperation which is not meaningful and helpful and that usually has terrible results because you spend 15 minutes of preparation fighting and you probably lose the debate. And the other side of cooperation which is meaningful and helpful and where you express yourself in a good way in order to get your partner to understand and to work better. So now that we've convinced you, hopefully, that debate is a great way for you to grow as a person and opens up several new paths in your life, we will be moving on to our second argument. This one is more emotional which is why in the debate world we would probably call it fluffy which means nice and cute. And while in a debate it probably wouldn't be the strongest argument in real life we think it's a great reason why you should start debating. So one of the nicest quotes I've ever heard about debate I heard this from Effie Gianakoury when I was in Prodigy like three years ago is that debating is the closest a frighteningly unfit person can get to professional sports. And indeed debate is like a sport. The same passion, the same pressure to perform in a debate room that might exist in let's say a football tournament exists in debate as well. So personal story, I really like team sports. I like the strategizing and being able to be happy with other people while winning or to compete within a team. The only problem is I really can't run without like constantly falling over or just getting out of breath. So I couldn't do that. So what I decided to do like three years ago again was to start debating. And indeed this is the closest anyone who is like me and thinks that the gym is probably the most boring place in the universe. It's the closest you can really get to having the spirit of competition and teamwork. So if you want to replicate that feeling without really getting into the process of being fit and just use your brains to do this, really try debating. But debate isn't just about the competitive part, right? It's also a much broader and fully absorbing experience. For example during a tournament you really won't be able to think of anything else because it's so fully engaging as an experience. It includes traveling to interesting places for international competition but also socializing with people from all over the world or participating in fun and interesting events. A great example of this was in Thessaloniki in the World Championship where the very night before the final we spent hours dancing with the organizing committee in front of a live band. And this wasn't probably the wisest decision we could have made but it sure was fun. So the last point we want to make as an argument is about debating as a community. So first of all debate is a very, very open micro-society. It's very liberal and very accepting of different viewpoints. So okay, let's actually prove why debate is so open and liberal. So remember what Maria talked about about challenging stereotypes and all that sort of thing. The first area that this is implemented is debating itself. So in debating, to put it very bluntly, if you're a sexist or racist which is like putting yourself over other people in your mind it's very hard to remain that while getting your ass kicked by people of different races, sexual orientations, genders, social classes, beliefs, etc. So in the end that's what kind of makes debate necessarily accepting as a community. On a second level though, debaters are people that like strategizing. They like thinking about, if not necessarily new ideas, then new approaches. When a debater sees a law, they don't think like this is in place and I'm just going to follow it. They think, why this law is in place? What was the thought process behind this legislation? What's the general idea that it was following? So this makes people nice and interesting and good people to have discussions with. Also it makes them good at organizing stuff and this is where we're going to shamelessly plug the Greek Debating Society which organized this, which is the World University Debating Championship in Thessaloniki. There are some people who volunteered there as well, volunteering here today. Fantastic experience, great organization. It was where the Greek Debating Society and Greece as a debating community came on its own and was able to like create something so fantastic and so enjoyable for so many people. And we really can't wait for you as well to join in that community and help build debating in Greece. And also shout out to the people who, like nobody knows this, right? The Greek national team, the under 18 Greek national team for debate has been consecutively for the past 16 years breaking into the round of 16 knockout in the World Championship. Nobody knows about this. But the coaches have been training the kids for free for all this time and taking them to international competitions and that's just fantastic and we can't wait for you to join in that as well. So we hope that after this debate speech we have given you at least enough reasons to give debating a try. And we do encourage you to look up the Greek Debating Society or the Local Debating Society of your university or even us personally. We cannot wait to invite you over. And especially if you like have an educational institution or have anything to do with teaching or communication please message us or talk to us here today about how we can set up something with you in your educational group or facility to help you, help us promote the debating as a whole. So we thank you very much for your attention. And as we would in any debate we beg you to propose. |
