国际英语新闻:US Presidential Debate Skills Apply at Home, Office

debate partner so that your response is informed.

“What frustrates an audience is when someone doesn't take the time to trace the evolution of an argument because they're so fixated on repeating their perspective. They don't come to find the points of agreement which are then crucial to evolving the argument," Atchison said.

Don’t pander

Don't underestimate your audience, whether it’s a boss, a romantic partner or a rival. Louden said a weak debater will pander, underestimating the audience’s ability to follow the arguments and to be impressed by the debaters' knowledge and interchange.

That said, an effective technique is arguing through the lens of your audience's perspective, rather than from your own.

“The best message is that which solicits the person to whatever part of their cognitive makeup says that this is a good idea,” Louden said. “Typically people see things from a point of view, so you pick a language which is in their language.”

Never say never

Atchison recommends avoiding the absolutes – words like “always” and “never.”

“Nothing draws the ire of an audience than an overstated claim. Because then all the other person has to do is to make a little bit more nuanced argument about where under certain conditions a particular argument or Plan A makes sense versus Plan B,”
he said.

If you feel your advantage slipping away and see your opponent gaining ground, be willing to acknowledge what parts of your opponent's arguments are persuasive.
Once you do that, Atchison said, explain why your position is still more persuasive in the end.

If you’re not a strong debater, don’t lose hope. Atchison insists everyone can improve their argumentation skills. Try the basic skill of “switch-side debating,” where you basically stake a position and then argue from the opposite side.

Pick your battles

Also, he suggests evaluating your own arguments in action.

“That can be something as self-reflective as sitting back and asking yourself, 'How did that conversation go? Was it where I wanted it to end up? Were there moments when I found myself acting reactionary rather than conceding that my opponent may have had something to say there?'” he said.

That is not just a recipe for a winning debate, but even a winning marriage. Atchison’s wife is one of the top debaters in the country, so he has learned to choose his battles wisely.

“The best debaters know what arguments are worthy to argue about,” he said. “And so we find that oftentimes we don't have as many arguments as our peers because we know what the nuclear options look like.”