Debating to Build Mental Strength: Part Four

Written by: Dr. Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre

It has been a few months since the first three installments.  But, I hate to leave a job unfinished.  So here goes number four.  In parts one, two, and three, I discussed 15 ways that debate can build mental strength.  I based my suggestions on the blog written by Paul Hudson called 20 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.  In this final installment, I discuss Hudson’s remaining suggestions and contextualize them in terms of debate.  The suggestions are:

16. Repeating Mistakes

17. Giving Into Their Fears

18. Acting Without Calculating

19. Refusing Help From Others
20. Throwing In The Towel

In debate, students learn to avoid repeating mistakes, overcome their fears, prepare their arguments, accept help from their partners, and to never give up.

16. Mentally strong debaters learn to avoid repeating mistakes.

When I was a debater, my coach told me that the path to winning in debate was learning from arguments to which I lost and never losing to the same argument twice.  After debates, I would analyze and examine the arguments that I lost to and write better answers to use in the future.  This strategy works in debate and it works in life.  Rather than bemoaning a loss, complaining about the judge, or belittling your partner, a mentally strong debater should craft better answers to other people’s arguments and seek to use each loss as a moment to learn and improve. 

            

17.  Mentally strong debaters do not give into their fears. 

There is a reason why public speaking is “America’s biggest phobia” according to the Washington Post.  Simply put, public speaking and debate are scary.  It can be a great challenge to speak in front of a judge; to try to give a coherent speech when you might be behind in the debate; to speak well as you enter a break round.  However, giving into such fears leads to defeat.  Instead, mentally strong debaters learn to channel their adrenaline and to use their fear productively to create better performances.  Misdirected adrenaline sparked by a fight or flight response can be a debater’s worst enemy.  Purposeful movement, mental strategies for overcoming fear, and focusing on the task at hand can help debaters to perform under pressure –a portable skill that will serve them throughout their lives.  For more suggestions on overcoming fear click here.

18.  Mentally Strong Debaters Are Prepared and Have Considered Arguments In Advance.

When you have time, you should prepare.  There are different ways to prepare depending on the particular debate format.  But, not to consider a variety of arguments and how they interact before you are in the heat of the debate leaves you without the ability to fully understand the complexity and strategy in a given situation.  Substantial calculation in advance will serve you well in prep time and speeches and allow you to construct winning arguments.

19.  Mentally strong debaters accept help from their teammates and their coaches.

In watching years of practice debates, I have often noticed that debaters respond to constructive criticism defensively with comments such as, “Well, of course I won’t do that in the debate” or “I know I am not supposed to do that.  But, this is only a practice.” This type of face saving comment makes it difficult for a debater to learn or to process potential improvements.  Mentally strong debaters should be open to constructive help and suggestions from their coaches. 

Additionally, debaters often refuse to accept help from their partners or other team members.  This is unfortunate because learning to work effectively in a team environment is one of the greatest benefits of debate.  Mentally strong debaters recognize that accepting help from others makes everyone better and does not diminish the individual. 

20.  Mentally strong debaters do not give up.

Many people try debate and give up because it is a challenge.  But, as with most things that are worth doing, debate requires personal growth and improvement over time.  It requires concerted effort from individuals who do not easily give up.  Perseverance in debate magnifies the importance of the accomplishments you do have.  We don’t do debate because it is easy.  We do it because it is an intellectually challenging, strategy oriented activity that requires development of useful skills over time.  If debate was easy, there would be no reason to continue.  It is because debate is difficult that we must press on.

Debating to Build Mental Strength: Part Three

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.   

Debating to Build Mental Strength: Part Two

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

10. Focusing On Their Weaknesses (Hudson, 2014)

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. 

Debating to Build Mental Strength: Part One

by Dr. Sarah T. Partlow Lefevre 

This morning I read an Elite Daily article by Paul Hudson called 20 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.  The first five mental habits to avoid include:

1. Dwelling On The Past

2. Remaining In Their Comfort Zone

3. Not Listening To The Opinions Of Others

4. Avoiding Change

5. Keeping A Closed Mind (Hudson, 2014)

While most of these suggestions are good advice, they resonate in the context of debate.  Debate as an activity trains people to be mentally strong.  Based on Hudson’s suggestions, I propose a list of practices in debate that make individuals mentally strong.  Debaters who adopt these approaches will succeed in debate and will develop habits that promote success in other areas of their lives.

1. Debaters look to the future.

Debaters develop the ability to move on after experiencing loss.  Half of all teams loose in every debate.  Mentally strong debaters learn to set their losses aside and focus on preparing for the next debate.  They transition quickly from debate to debate and learn to compartmentalize their experiences in a productive way.  Dwelling on past losses is a recipe for failure in debate.  Winning debaters learn to live in the moment and learn from their experiences without dwelling on setbacks.

2. Debaters regularly overcome fear and step outside of their comfort zones.

By nature, debate takes individuals out their comfort zones because speaking in front of others is scary.  In fact, it is the “No. 1 fear reported by people in the U.S.” (WebMD).  Fear is a natural human response to speaking in public.  Most public speakers experience some level of fear or anxiety.  Debaters experience this too.  Debaters often leave their comfort zones and gain strength in the process.  Ultimately, doing something that you fear is an incredibly empowering experience.  After debaters know they can debate, they also know they can start a business, apply for graduate school, give a speech at a wedding, go to law school, get a Ph.D. or a Master’s degree, and do many other challenging things.  Debaters learn to overcome fear while gaining confidence and to seek difficult experiences that reap splendid rewards. 

3. Debaters listen to and learn from everyone they can.

First, successful debaters engage opponents.  Some debaters are so prepared that they fail to listen to their opponents’ arguments.  Without listening, debaters cannot possibly hope to understand and adequately respond to the claims advanced in the debate.  Successful debaters do not underestimate their opponents or assume that they understand their arguments in advance.  Rather, successful debaters develop the habit of listening to their opponents and responding to the strongest possible incarnation of their arguments.  Listening to the opposition and understanding other perspectives is a key component of building mental strength in debate.

Second, debaters often have the opportunity to interact with the other coaches, the judges, and the other teams.  Debaters should take these opportunities to learn everything they can from others in the debate community.  Such knowledge ranges from how to better answer an argument to where to access particular academic research to how to improve their persuasive skills.  Win or lose, debaters who listen become better because they are open to others’ ideas and approaches to the world. 

             4.  Debaters embrace change on many levels. 

Debaters face a torrent of change. Topics, argumentative norms, styles of delivery, persuasive tactics, opponents, judges, locations, and many more things constantly change in debate.  The ability to accept, adapt to, and learn from these changes makes debaters flexible, adaptable individuals who will become strong team players in any environment.  The ability to embrace and quickly adapt to change gives debaters a competitive advantage as others strive to catch up.  

5.  Debaters keep open minds.

In debate, students are usually asked to represent multiple approaches to the same or similar topics.  Asking students to represent multiple sides of an issue is often referred to as switch side debate.  As students switch sides, they develop intricate understandings of many perspectives.  While debaters may maintain the courage of their convictions, openness to understanding and engaging a variety of arguments builds mental strength and the capacity to build higher quality, more nuanced arguments.  

This is part one of a four part series.  In the next three installments, I will address the remaining components of Hudson’s list.  Please comment and let me know what you liked or didn’t like about this post. See part two here.