“No man understands his own side until he understands the other side.”

DEBATE is like a battle between kingdoms. Its competitors should be well armed; each should possess a strong grasp of fighting skills and ample knowledge about the nature of the dispute and the strategies of the adversary. In debate, it is essential that you are steadfast with your stand and omniscient with information required to defend your creeds. But there is more than familiarizing your side; you should first master the side of the opponent.

The statement above is indeed a reality not only in debate but also in life’s daily bustles. First, understanding others’ side is a natural tendency and an essential attribute of a reasoning human being. Life is really a peaceful realm, and we humans do not have to react to events and oppose views. What fuels humans to reason and debate is when something becomes unacceptable to the man himself. These things do not belong to his side – beliefs, thinking, and passions. These external things may have deviated his norms, been impractical for his condition, or been illogical for his cognition. When these things spark from nowhere, the reasoning man starts to discuss his observations, defend his views based on his norms and reasoning, and attack the opposition who caused or favored the unwanted stimulus. Why did he perform such acts? Because he understood the things undesirable for him, which came from the other side of his being. After the analysis of other views, he is now prepared to create his own thoughts that will support his view.

Another approach in explaining this attribute is to look at the logic of the dispute. In arguing with your mother on why she decreased your daily allowance, you need to learn why your mother did so. Maybe the family business is facing financial crisis, or you need to be disciplined because of your misdemeanors. In discussing issues in literature with your teacher, you need to analyze first why is this teacher reiterating this and that which are contrary to your ideas. In dealing with two-sided problems, you need to understand what are the points of the opponent. This means that before engaging in a parley, you should know first if it is reasonable to confront the opposing force. Why am I going to oppose him if there is no problem, no point of discussion, if his arguments are logical, practical, and truthful? Maybe I can accept his viewpoints. How can you come up with this conclusion? This is by understanding others’ sides first.

This third reason is more applicable to debate. Understanding others’ ideas is a state of readiness. How am I going to attack him with a line or two if I do not anticipate his probable reasons and examples? Good debaters are usually those with a wide gamut of knowledge on things, with a mind that is omniscient and open not only to his views but also to the views of others. In this way, a debater cannot only assault the opponent strategically but he can also take the place of the opponent in case his side in the debate is an assigned one.

Lastly, to summarize the whole thought, learning other people’s view, or even unacceptable views, helps you search your place in the issue. In this manner, you become aware of your beliefs, reasoning, and actions. You discover what kind of person you are – affirmative or negative, practical or unrealistic – in seeing the positions of other people in the realm.

In wars, debate, or daily life, understanding oneself is the key to personal excellence, but understanding others first is the passport to competitive success.