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QUARTER NOTE

A Matter of Debate

David Freedman, PM2

Hey—do you want to hear a secret? winds and cultivate a point of view that both you

Here it is: I’m always right. No, really. And I’ve and your audience will find convincing. To do this
got the public speaking chops to prove it. I can takes a great deal of research on the subject as well
create a great speech with the best of them that as being able to put together sound points that will
can sway listeners to my side without breaking add emphasis to your pitch. In that sense, debating

a sweat. Of course, in order to get to this point, is as much of an art form as public speaking, with
I had to pay my dues and hone my skills as a the additional challenges of actively listening to
public speaker and debater in the first place. And your opponent and discovering ways to rebut their
debating is a skill which no one every truly learns argument in a (mostly) logical manner.

enough about. Debates can be fun, challenging, Sound easy yet?
hard, and even maddening, depending upon the When I first came up with the idea to form a
subject matter you’re discussing and whether or debate club, several members of my home Club,
not you can come up with a convincing argument. Babble-On Toastmasters, had done a debate

You want to know an even better secret? exercise in which there was a moderator and two
If you want to be a successful debater, you speakers. The speakers debated a specific topic.
need to be able to become the devil’s advocate After being introduced by the moderator, they
in order to empathize with your opponent. That would be asked to present their point of view in

means taking the time to research points of view the first round. In the subsequent round, each
you might otherwise find repugnant. You might person would ask the other questions to sound
even find some common ground that you didn’t out their opponent. The last round would see
expect. But more often than not, you’ll also walk each person present their final argument. There

away with a better understanding of someone were no winners in this debate; the exercise was
else’s point of view. to see how well each person could perform in
Now in truth, I’m not always right. And for a debate when prepared with the appropriate
most people, that’s a huge relief. I’d be insufferable subject matter.

if that were the case. However, in a debate, you I was intrigued by this and eventually decided
have to convince people about the truth of your to form a Club as part of my high-performance
message, and in order to do that, at least to a leadership project. Then the pandemic hit, and
certain point, you have to throw caution to the my hopes of finishing up my Distinguished

34 ONE COMMUNITY