by Dr. Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre
In
part
one of this series, I introduced an article written by Paul Hudson called
20 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.
I applied his first five suggestions to the debate context.
In part two, I examine practices 6-10 that
mentally strong people should avoid.
They are:
6.
Letting Others Make Decisions For Them
7.
Getting Jealous Over The Successes Of Others
8.
Thinking About The High Possibility Of Failure
9.
Feeling Sorry For Themselves
Again, I apply each suggestion
in the context of debate to see how debaters can use the activity to build
mental strength and resilience.
Debaters who develop such habits can use them to become more successful
throughout their lives.
6. Debaters develop decision making abilities.
Debaters learn to consider the
advice of others, while relying on their decision making abilities in every
debate. Often, a coach may discuss a
strategy with a debater prior to a debate.
However, debaters must develop the ability to implement such strategies
in context, to choose between a variety of strategies, and to develop
strategies on their own. As debaters
learn to engage in high level strategic thinking, they are more and more able
to make the decisions they are called upon to make in the heat of the
moment. Wise debaters listen to their
coaches. But, they also listen to
themselves.
Debaters also learn to research options and investigate possibilities
by considering a wide variety of evidence from many sources. Not only are debaters taught to analyze the quality
of the available evidence, they learn to synthesize it into a coherent
perspective. Debaters learn the tools
for decision making in a variety of contexts.
They can consistently and fairly engage in cost benefit analysis to
weigh competing merits of different approaches.
In the long run, good debaters develop the ability to address a problem
by gathering evidence, analyzing it, and deciding for themselves.
7. Debaters celebrate others’ successes.
It takes a debater who is truly confident in him or herself to
celebrate others’ successes. Strong
debaters should revel in the process of debate and reach out to others –win or
lose. As one who has been around the
debate community for many years, I know that team success works in cycles. But, it is always true that when one team
wins accolades and respect, debate as an activity wins. Mentally strong debaters should remember to
be proud of the other members of the debate community and to celebrate their
successes. Trophies are only a small
part of the debate experience. More than
any individual win or loss, debate is nothing without individuals contributing
to and building the community. Resilient
debaters reach out to others and build bridges without regard to competitive
concerns. Often, debaters develop
extensive networks of friends all over the country. Such deep bonds last well beyond a single
tournament, a specific season, or even a debate career. These bonds last a lifetime.
8. Debaters accept guaranteed failure.
Because debate tournaments involve a series of debates and, therefore,
a series of wins and losses, even tournament champions rarely emerge
undefeated. In debate, losing is
inevitable. All debaters lose
debates. Losses can help debaters to
refine strategy and improve their arguments.
A loss can identify weaknesses in an argument that need to be
addressed. Losses can inspire debaters to
do more research, practice more, or to try harder in the next debate. Ultimately, losing in debate teaches mentally
strong debaters that loss is a part of life.
Using the experience of failure to refine one’s approach and to try
again another day marks debaters’ progress.
Resilient debaters learn how to take failure in stride while still
progressing in life and in debate. In
this way, failure in debate leads to success in life as individuals learn to
accept the inevitability of defeat and to respond constructively.
9. Debaters do not pity
themselves. Instead, they make
themselves better.
After accepting that loss is inevitable, debaters
are free to use losing as an exercise in self-improvement. Mentally strong
debaters learn from their losses rather than engaging in self-pity. Debaters should embrace the experience of
debate and dialogue while seeking to improve their skills. Enjoying the process ensures an attitude that
allows for personal growth and development.
10. Debaters capitalize on their strengths.
To succeed, debaters must recognize and use their strengths as
speakers, strategists, or researchers.
Tough debaters recognize that nurturing strength will make them stronger
and more successful. Most debaters also
work on improving in weak areas. But,
the ability to identify areas of excellence and refine them is what makes a
great debater.
Part three can be found
here. I hope you are enjoying the series so far. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
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