Introduction To Debate

This will be another simple blog. This whole blog will be about debating, and the right and wrong ways to debate.

Why do people debate?

Asking why people debate or why people argue is essentially the same question, only of different context. The greater question is why do we enjoy it?
I believe it's because we enjoy expressing our intelligence. A debate isn't started until someone opposes ideas of personal intelligence.
Once someone starts to express their ideas they have to do so in a way that others will understand. Misinterpretations of another person's ideas usually results in conflict. These conflicts can easily be resolved  with revisions to the original idea. Understanding will only come if the opposition requests elaboration of the original idea.
When the rebuttal is made, it is up to the original idealist to listen thoroughly so better understanding of the audience's confusion is regarded. If the speaker lacks a complete understanding of the questions asked he will be making remarks that pertain to ignorant thoughts.
In retrospect, these same principles apply to the audience.

How can you completely understand the audiences questions?

I assume that is your next question. I apologize if it is not.
Everything we have come to discover and understand started with asking questions. The same goes for anyone who is in a controversy. The best way to understand how to conclude any controversy is to understand the who, what, when, where, how, and why.
After all speculations are outlined it becomes easier for all parties to deduce the next series of questions. New parameters are then defined, leading to more productive responses.

What if everyone understands each other but nobody agrees?

Understanding yet, not agreeing is common, considering everyone thinks within their own uniqueness.

example: A public debate about "the importance of education".

This would appear to be an easy topic everyone should agree on. Yet, if we were to hear each others thoughts on it there is no doubt conflict would arise.
Some of us have a different perspective on just what an "important education" actually entails.

On my own behalf, I believe science is the only education any person needs to succeed in life. Therefore it is the only curriculum that should be taught.

And now, some of you are probably saying, "science is just as important as math, reading, writing, history, and so on". However, some of you are saying, "why do you think science is the most important curriculum"? In the midst of these two responses, there are other arguments to be made. But, for now we will focus primarily on these examples.

The first group has set the parameters of debate based on their personal perception. Whereas,
the second group is aiming to grasp my perspective to refine their previous inclination.

The point of this little scenario is to point out a disagreement. When there is lack of questioning combined with confusion contention will follow. All in all it is still a misunderstanding that needs rectified.

In case anyone wants to know the why of my hypothetical debate, its because "science is a description of facts about the universe and how it works. I believe science is the basis for every curriculum taught in schools and if it isn't then the curriculum is not based on fact."

How do you conclude a conflict?

That depends on your goal. If your goal was to only get people to listen then you can conclude after your point has been made. Anything after your point has been made is the start of a new goal and possibly a completely new conclusion.

If your goal was to reach an agreement, you can't conclude until an agreement to agree or disagree is met. The best way to conclude on an agreement is to allow the other party to process your thoughts and them time to decide  in favor of them or not. If you push to describe something they already understand you will most likely begin to sound arrogant.
If they process your argument and offer a rebuttal, do not counter with the same arguments you have offered before, because if you did your job they are already aware of that. Instead readjust your argument and imply the new understandings that they ask for into your next statement. Let them know all the possibilities that their argument implicates when added to your original ideas.
Do this until an agreement is met, and never under any circumstance feel that your intelligence has nothing to gain from the rebuttals of others arguments or a lack of understanding will occur.

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Forum etiquette

What is Etiquette?

To  me, etiquette is defined as groups of socially accepted rules depicted on how people feel they want to be treated.

Using etiquette in that perception gives a reason to use it in every day life. Who really doesn't value the phrase, "treat others as you want to be treated", and its meaning?
Here I would just like to give some examples of good forum etiquette to help clarify some things, and hopefully help communities to educate themselves inside forums instead of finding constant ramble and bicker.

1. Never be disrespectful. This doesn't mean to not question someones intelligence, it just means to find a way to do it that the community wont find insulting, even though the person the response is directed to might.
2. Always be clear when you make a post. It is fundamental that you understand what your posting, when you are posting it. If you don't understand something, you can't expect other readers to understand it any better than you.
3. Don't insult anyones character in forums. Insults to someones character shows a sign of ignorance to the person bearing the insults. In forums insults usually are thrown when someone has no response to an argument and must ignore or accept what the post entails. (I would say not to insult anyone, but that is just nature to some people and insulting someones intelligence will usually result in proof of ignorance towards the first offender.)
4. Always keep an open mind. You should be going to forums to gain and share knowledge. Some people claim the best way to continue learning is to teach. Nobody can come to an agreement if both sides don't keep an open mind in order to put themselves in the other persons perspective.
5. Realize that your discussing observations. Once you realize that everything discussed in forums is based on a persons individual observation, it is easier to understand their personal perspective.
6. Always use the search function before you make a post. There is nothing worse than visiting a forum and seeing people ask the same question 100 times. Please try to describe search in more than one way, to ensure evasion of double posting.

I can go on an on, but that should be sufficient. There are only 2 main things to understand about forums.

1) Forums are assemblies of real people, discussing real ideas.

2) Forums are only as knowledgeable as the community will allow.

Forum Database

The Importance Of Collective Thought

Collective Thought

What Is It?

Collective thought is the ability for minds to work together by expressing ideas that revolve around the same subject in order to make physical results.

An example of collective thought would be 20 people in a junkyard wanting to build an engine. Only 4 of them have worked on cars but the others are mechanically inclined. They all want to work together to build an engine.
The knowledgeable 4, understand the basics of engines but not enough to build the whole thing.
The others have knowledge in general areas of building things, but no experience with cars.
Together though, the 4 mechanics can combine their knowledge and lead the others in a way that generates intelligent questions to produce intelligent answers.
Using the questions and answers of each other they can most likely produce an engine using collective knowledge even though 16 people never worked on an engine before.

Here is a more in-depth description I found that somebody else wrote that is very enlightening.

Dialog as Collective Thinking

Jens Allwood, Göteborg University, Sweden

What Does That Have To Do With You?

That depends on how much you are willing to accept.
If you think about how collective thought was used for others to gain an understanding of our world, it probably has everything to do with you.
However, if you want to, you can ignore it and consider it insignificant and therefore it would have nothing to do with you.

I am going to assume you are the first option seeing as your still reading.
There really isn't much explanation needed here... but just to clarify what I mean I will dabble a little.

Where do you think your teachers, parents, boss, friends, and you got your knowledge? Sure, you can say "books", but where did those authors get their knowledge?
The obvious answer is through collective knowledge. Everyone who has learned anything, has had to at one point expressed what they learned. Once what they expressed is interpreted by someone else as "correct" or "incorrect" a collective knowledge base is started and the ideas expressed are considered relevant or not. If it is relevant it is probably studied further, which generates more questions that are expressed which generates more collective thought.

How Can Collective Thought Change The World?

An obvious answer to that question is a question. "How has collective thought not changed the world?"
If you read and understood the paragraphs above you can probably agree that all our intelligence is a build up of collective thought. Anything that was built using our intelligence needed collective thought to generate the ideas to make the invention possible.

So I guess the better question is "how can you help change the world through collective thought?"
The answer is simple. Put your ideas out into the world for others to agree or disagree with.
As long as you don't allow yourself to take offense to other peoples observations and opinions about your ideas, you have nothing to be afraid of.

If You Have Ideas, People Will Agree or Disagree With Them.

I'm sure some of you are saying "well, duh. That's the only choices they have."
That's not the only choice however, people can choose to ignore your ideas as well, even after understanding them thoroughly.

Aside from that though, it implies that people listened to your ideas and made their own conclusions based on your observations.After they reach their conclusion they will find the information you provided to be relevant or not and to look into your observations further if they do find it necessary for their own purposes.

The important thing is that they listened though. After they listen to your idea, they will express their own and collective thought is in process from that moment on.

Where Can I Go To Get People To Listen?

Anywhere that you find conversations possible. The key to collective thought is interacting with people in order to influence their mind to generate like thoughts as yours for a better conclusion that was previously thought of.

The best places that I can think of to express your opinions though are internet forums. Most people don't understand how crucial these forums should be considered.
Internet forums are the most ignored from of collective thought today. The reason they are so important is because there is a forum for pretty much any idea a person has. In these forums there are other people expressing their ideas on how to improve previous ideas within the topic.

If you don't believe me, take an idea you have and simplify it to a "search engine term". And put your term in quotation marks with the word forum after it. "example" forum

example: If you enjoy boating and want to know of places to travel, or want to express opinions of places you have traveled.
Go to google and type "boating" forum, and you will get a list of sites that are focused on the discussion of boating.
I haven't done this search, I'm just giving it as an example. I assume you would get a list of forums that are about boat travel and boat building.

I hope that gives you some understanding of forums and how to find other peoples thoughts on ideas that may pertain to you and your ideas.