by Dr. Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre
In
part
one and
part
two of this series, I introduced an article written by Paul Hudson called
20 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.
Upon initially reading the article, I noticed
that many of the characteristics of mental strength could be developed through
the practice of debate.
Debate is an
activity that promotes dialectic and argumentative interaction while accepting
disagreement.
The structure of debate
lends itself to developing mental strength and healthy life perspective.
In part three, I examine Hudsons’s
suggestions 11-15 rephrasing them as affirmative practices in the context of
competitive debate.
Hudson’s things that
mentally strong people don’t do are:
11. Trying To
Please People
12. Blaming
Themselves For Things Outside Their Control
13. Being
Impatient
14. Being
Misunderstood
15. Feeling Like
You’re Owed
Because debate is a training ground, I rephrase each as an aspect of debate
that can develop mental strength.
11. Debaters recognize when they’ve done
their best regardless of the results.
While the structure of debate asks debaters to please the
judge, mentally strong debaters also must do their best and accept that there
are some results that rest outside of their control. Because the judge is a human being and--by
nature--imperfect, the very best performance might not yield a victory. Mentally strong debaters recognize that the
decision making process is also about the judge – their thoughts and
predispositions, their moods, or even their human foibles. A mentally strong debater understands that
strategy in debate is about more than a virtuoso performance – it is also about
adapting to the judge. Additionally, a
strong debater recognizes that doing one’s best doesn’t always mean marking a
win on the results sheet. Even in these
cases, a strong debater is proud of doing his or her best.
12. Debaters recognize that there are some
things they cannot control.
Debate is a game of control.
If debaters can control the variables, they are more likely to win. However, even in such an intricate and
strategic game, there are elements of chance.
Mentally strong debaters know this.
They recognize that they might draw tough opponents, fail to find the
best evidence, run out of time in their speeches, make a mistake, or end up
disagreeing with a judge. Debaters learn
that this is inevitable in debate and in life.
Debaters learn from experience that their control is not absolute. This means they must do their best and
recognize that some factors are not within the realm of their control. Letting go of the notion that total control
of the situation is possible frees debaters to be their best. Win or lose, they must learn not to blame
themselves and by extension not to blame the judge –a fellow human being.
13.
Debaters learn that persistence and hard work produce dividends.
Many people who start debating do not ever succeed because
they are not persistent. If individuals
begin debate and do not persist, they may not experience the benefits of
debate. Like many things that are worth
doing, debate requires hard work over a sustained period of time. But, the rewards that come from sticking with
it go far beyond trophies. Debaters
experience personal growth and transformation.
They develop life skills and analytic skills in a dynamic
environment. Sometimes the process
hurts. Mentally strong debaters learn to
embrace the adversity as a method of intellectual and personal growth. Debaters who stick with it develop amazing
analytic skills and begin to win. But,
often winning takes time.
14.
Debaters recognize that they are responsible for crafting and refining
the messages that they communicate.
Mentally strong debaters understand
that they are responsible for what they communicate to the judge. Debate is a process of persuading the judge
as a specific audience in a dialectical environment. In that sense, the judge has a particular set
of life experiences, debate experience, academic knowledge, debate knowledge,
and different preferences that may all influence his or her response to the
round. Strong debaters seek to
understand the perspectives of the judge rather than to blame the judge for
voting against them. For those who are
not mentally strong, every debate victory is about their skill as debaters
while every loss is about the stupidity of the judge. Mentally strong debaters recognize the
possibility that they might be wrong in any given debate. Recognizing their potential weaknesses allows
debaters to identify flaws in their communication and to remedy them. Fundamentally, it is a debater’s
responsibility to communicate clearly and persuasively.
15. Debaters
know they must earn their success.
Mentally strong debaters recognize that debate doesn’t owe them
anything but offers many things.
Participation in debate builds research skills, the ability to
understand and process complex material, strategic thinking, speaking skills,
and many other benefits. Mentally strong
debaters understand that each of these benefits is multiplied through hard work
and practice. Expecting to have success
handed to you leads to disappointment in debate and in life. Often, debaters develop mental strength as
they learn to thrive on the challenge and to hone their debate skills. Accepting that rewards are earned serves
debaters well throughout their lives.
I hope you are enjoying the series.
Feel free to comment or make suggestions.
Part four is coming soon.
