NationStates Jolt Archive

I have a proposal for NSG.

Let's make our debates more interesting...

Think about your position on a certain issue, then try and debate it from the other side. Try and debate seriously.

In other words, play the devil's advocate.

I have a proposal for NSG.

Let's make our debates more interesting...

Think about your position on a certain issue, then try and debate it from the other side. Try and debate seriously.

In other words, play the devil's advocate.

Too late. There's quite a few who do this very well here.
Perhaps Opposite Day?

I do that all the time. That's why I end up not posting 75% of my arguments because after debating myself for twenty minutes I realise I'm wrong, and leave.

A good debater already does this. I often wonder if some of your more extreme posters are just using us to cut their teeth in this way : ponder :

I was wondering how many people are serious about their position, or debate from that perspective because they can or they want to provoke the other side...

I already have a tendancy to do that - just to keep the thread going. Nothing more boring than having everyone in the thread agreeing from the first post on.

I already have a tendancy to do that - just to keep the thread going. Nothing more boring than having everyone in the thread agreeing from the first post on.

QFT.

In before master debater.

In before master debater.
Damn you, you cunning linguist.

Okay, I'll give it a go.

"Why you always use big words? You think you look smart using big words, but you just look dumb - everybody knows you use a thesaurus, Mr. Smart Guy. And I don't actually care whether you use one or not, I just like being abusive towards people with larger vocabularies than mine."

Y'know, I don't think I really got anything from that experience. Or conversely, I got about as much out of saying it just then as I did hearing it barked at me last week - which is to say, very little.

Debating from a point of view different than your own is extremely disingenuous and therefore unacceptable. You must cling to your true beliefs and not just pretend to hold a position in which you do not passionately believe - such dishonesty is tearing apart the moral fabric of society and will lead us toward the collapse of civilization.

Debating from a point of view different than your own is extremely disingenuous and therefore unacceptable. You must cling to your true beliefs and not just pretend to hold a position in which you do not passionately believe - such dishonesty is tearing apart the moral fabric of society and will lead us toward the collapse of civilization.

Or are you just afraid of what you may learn? If you don't broaden your perspective you may left behind. Being able to debate from the other side is important because only through that process do you learn about the weaknesses in your beliefs as well as the weaknesses in the other side. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses but if you're unwilling to venture out then you will fail in the end to defend your position.

Or are you just afraid of what you may learn? If you don't broaden your perspective you may left behind. Being able to debate from the other side is important because only through that process do you learn about the weaknesses in your beliefs as well as the weaknesses in the other side. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses but if you're unwilling to venture out then you will fail in the end to defend your position.

You sure use a lot of big words...

You sure use a lot of big words...

Hahahahaha...it's a common tactic here to grasp at straws when there's nothing left to back up an untenable argument.

Cluich is a master in this regard...when all else fails, he whips out his editing penis and diddles everyone's posts.

Okay...

Evolution is just a theory, and therefore should not be taught in schools. Besides, it doesn't make any sense. I mean, if mankind came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys? And how could the eye evolve naturally? Eyes are really complicated and therefore must have been designed. Plus, evolution isn't even a very good theory, as it doesn't explain where life came from or how the universe came into existence. And don't start talking about lab experiments where evolution has been demonstrated, because that's just microevolution, which is totally different from macroevolution. Also, if you're an evolutionist, it means you hate God. Instead of evolution, we should teach kids about young-earth creationism in science class. It's much more scientific than evolution, because it's in the Bible. We can prove that YEC is true because archaeologists have found some of the cities mentioned in the Bible. Therefore, creationism is science, and evolution is a stupid Satanic lie.

...I think I need to scrub my brain out now. *shudder*

I've made my positions on too many things crystal-clear to start arguing for other viewpoints now.

I have a proposal for NSG.

Let's make our debates more interesting...

Think about your position on a certain issue, then try and debate it from the other side. Try and debate seriously.

In other words, play the devil's advocate.

It's not play. I do take it quite seriously, after all.

I've made my positions on too many things crystal-clear to start arguing for other viewpoints now.

Exactly.

And besides, if you play the devil's advocate, and don't make it clear, posters like Jocabia will dredge up your entire posting history and parade it around to ridicule you with.

And you don't want that.

I already have a tendancy to do that - just to keep the thread going. Nothing more boring than having everyone in the thread agreeing from the first post on.

Me too.

this thread would be much more interesting if someone actually gave us something to argue about, "from the other side".

this thread would be much more interesting if someone actually gave us something to argue about, "from the other side".

How about Big Butts? Are Big Butts better than Little Butts? Do you believe that this is the case in all situations? Can a Butt be too big or too little? Is it really necessary for me to capitalize the word, "Butt"?

Begin.

It's not hard to argue for an opposite view and stay coherent. You only have to apply different premises (opposite to yours) and drive them through normal thought-process.

For instance:

"The US invasion wasn't about oil, but about civil rights and deposing a threat to the region. Therefore it was justified."

Do this in long enough trains of thought and you're arguing for the opposite side.

How about Big Butts? Are Big Butts better than Little Butts? Do you believe that this is the case in all situations? Can a Butt be too big or too little? Is it really necessary for me to capitalize the word, "Butt"?

Begin.

I like Big Butts. I cannot tell a lie.


(Unless I'm playing Devil's Advocate.)

I like Big Butts. I cannot tell a lie.


(Unless I'm playing Devil's Advocate.)

Well, that's what you have to play. Do it. Now.

Well, that's what you have to play. Do it. Now.

It was an old rap reference damn it!

*sigh*

Fine...

Big Butts are better than little butts, because there's a whole lot more to grab on to, and you don't feel like you're going to break something when you're going to town on it. They really make you feel like you've wisely spent your money on that new lazyboy chair, because a chick with a little ass would be lost on that lazy-boy, let me tell you.

I mean, did Spinal Tap write a song about little bottoms? Hell no! The song is called BIG BOTTOM! And Queen wrote a song about 'Fat Bottom Girls', and yes, they do make the rocking world go round! How could English Rockers be wrong? Eh? EH?

If you're going for something, go for substance. Vote Big Ass.

It's not hard to argue for an opposite view and stay coherent. You only have to apply different premises (opposite to yours) and drive them through normal thought-process.

For instance:

"The US invasion wasn't about oil, but about civil rights and deposing a threat to the region. Therefore it was justified."

Do this in long enough trains of thought and you're arguing for the opposite side.

its not just that. it's making the argument as if you believed it, doing the research and counter arguments as if you were fighting for your "new" posistion.

that's the hard part of playing Devil's Advocate.

It was an old rap reference damn it!

*sigh*

Fine...

Big Butts are better than little butts, because there's a whole lot more to grab on to, and you don't feel like you're going to break something when you're going to town on it. They really make you feel like you've wisely spent your money on that new lazyboy chair, because a chick with a little ass would be lost on that lazy-boy, let me tell you.

I mean, did Spinal Tap write a song about little bottoms? Hell no! The song is called BIG BOTTOM! And Queen wrote a song about 'Fat Bottom Girls', and yes, they do make the rocking world go round! How could English Rockers be wrong? Eh? EH?

If you're going for something, go for substance. Vote Big Ass.

More Cushion for the pushin' :D

its not just that. it's making the argument as if you believed it, doing the research and counter arguments as if you were fighting for your "new" posistion.

that's the hard part of playing Devil's Advocate.

Of course, but the point is the premise must change. With the changes on premises, you have to look up sources that back you up, but, for it to work, the thought process must remain valid.