what is the point of debates? (Page 11)

Well Lighthouse seems to be leaving, so if she allows me I'll take up from where she left. CB you're comparing debating with street fighting and tamasha because of the fun factor involved. Ok...I agree both have it's unique fun and interest factor. However, can you really compare street fights with debates?? If it's nothing better than tamasha then why do people come here instead of enjoying 'boxing' or 'WWE'??

If all the debaters come here only to seek some excuse to fight, won't they be doing it with each and everybody instead of appreciating someone and agreeing with other people when they make a valid point. If they don't learn anything why would they care to appreciate??

When you're in a street fight, do you pick and choose your opponent, like if he's an idiot I won't fight and when you're fighting do you care about logic, but in debates people prefer to argue with those who have some education/ knowledge and debaters always take care to use logic (valid or invalid) in whatever they say, otherwise the whole exercise becomes futile as it seems to be a waste of energy and no learning comes out of it.

You asked why we even care to read books then, when we can learn so much from debates. Here you're missing one point, you cannot debate without some basic knowledge about the topic and the more knowledge you have the better. Another factor is, when you're reading about a subject, you're alone and the ideas that you form are mostly influenced by the writer and to some extent by your own judgement, which remains pretty much one-sided. When you're discussing or debating the same subject, you can come to know some other ideas or concepts or POVs or simply another way to look at the topic which you had failed even to imagine can exist. If we can tolerate the fact that others can disprove us, we can always learn something from debates. Now you'll say that in DM, most of the time both sides are not convinced of the other's POV, but that's because we sometimes fail to present convincing reasons supporting our POV and sometimes it also happens that both parties are correct the only difference is from which side they're looking at the subject.

 It seems lighthouse ji lit the torch like this:

and she is passing the torch to all like this:

 But where is this torch leading to you or whom is this torch leading to

Cheers,

Mythili

true

but so much of those 10 pages and opinions from "real people" was devoted to (1) why people come to DM (2) why people "participate" silently rather than debate. both off-topic from "why debate" imo. btw, you might not care for the street-fight analogy but for me that is as plausible a reason as others you advanced, and it pertained to the more on-topic question of "why debate". further it was not the only example cited though it somehow became the "focal point".

also, very generally and not directed at you, am not sure one gets too much learning done when one just slings around worthy quotes from others, mischaracterizes another person's position, and provides reasoning that centers on "senior members" etc. Would like the ideas to speak for themselves, not run behind personalities and hierachical pecking orders.

will leave you with this thought- we seldom get addicted to learning in RL- whether it's schoolkids, chess players, or movie watchers who want to learn story telling etc. Yet we so easily accept the stated "learning" reasons for why we debate given some of our own addictions here? fine. i just did not think it was the primary reason, and sorry if i cant really be bothered if someone disagrees as long as the focus remained on "why debate".

  .  It depends on the person and the stage of life that person is in... Insatiable thirst for knowledge and curiosity is omnipresent no matter what and is driving force .  Isn't that why we watch TV channels like Discovery, TLC or even O'reily beating up on his guest... I surely learned something from watching him or  Red carpet Oscar preview hour.

 Honestly I enjoy reading views and have learnt a lot from many members on IF including yourself. .  I think we are so stuck in rut of our daily lives and having to learn stuff for work or finances that coming here and reading or being able to participate in healthy discussion on matters we don't get to see otherwise is refreshing. And I am begining to have fun too.

I think it totally depends upon the issue at hand. There are certain debates where you'll have a clear cut right or wrong......however such debates are rare or rather not debateable cos there is indeed a clear cut right or wrong ! However, almost all debates lie in the gray zone......wherein you can argue on pts of others POV while respecting it. I truly feel that the goal of the debate should be to bring the other to your side of the spectrum........but just be a realist in your expectations