We watch a debate like we watch a football game, cheering on the side that aligns to our ideological preference. Our ego clouds our judgement and we desire a feeling of pride for “winning.”
For example, if aspartame is provably bad for you, wouldn’t you want to know the truth? Would you really want to believe the person that comes to the debate more prepared and makes a fool of the other person, even if the prepared debater is wrong?
This is absurd. We must seek truth. We must avoid getting lost in fallacies. We must avoid our fear of hard truths.
The next time you find yourself in a debate, try to remember the ultimate goal is truth. Shame and abrasive tactics should be a last resort that is almost never worth taking. Your desire to be brash is rooted in ego and pride, when you should only be seeking truth.