Once Upon a Time…

Ancient Asian and North American indigenous communities honored an enlightened form of debating: they prioritized harmony over victory, offering a stark contrast to most competitive Western debate.

Contemporary Western debating often resembles a contest—a battle of wits, such as in a courtroom or in media. With my superior logic, I strive to outmaneuver and defeat another perspective. There is a winner and a loser, and it seldom feels good to be the loser, which fosters pushback and division, not understanding and unity.

In contrast, these ancient practices celebrated collaboration. The true “winner” was not necessarily the debater with the most compelling argument. Instead, the winner was the one who found the most common ground, the most points of agreement with the other’s perspective, before addressing the points of disagreement.

On this platform of mutual understanding and respect, they could discuss contentious issues without the hostility or ego-driven emotions of, "I’m right and you’re an idiot." No face was lost; no one was demeaned. It became a shared exploration.

“Ahh, goddess of wisdom, wherefore art thou today?”

~ John