Comments | superabo: seriously

superabo

seriously

Sep 08, 2005 01:40

I need help. I can't make decisions on my own.

Should I debate in college?

Yes.
- I love many of the people.
- I've enjoyed debating a lot in the past.
- I feel sort of obligated to.

No.- It will consume all of my time. I know I have a tendency towards addiction. It even runs in my family (we have lots of alcoholics, smokers, etc.) If I debate ( Read more... )

Comments 45

here's my responses nnn9245 September 7 2005, 22:49:15 UTC

don't pick the yes because you love the people. it's impossible to live in the past, especially debate-wise. debate relationships change, and while you should affirm the ones you have in the past, they won't be the same in college. if you pick another activity, you'll meet people there ( ... )

Re: here's my responses the_shivers September 8 2005, 01:06:39 UTC

I disagree with the "start debating, then see" point. I think that though it is unusual to be a major debater after taking a year break, that would be the best option. If debating is an addiction, don't continue it without reason. At least try the first semester debate-free. If you miss debate terribly after that and feel that life is no longer worth living, then go back. But if you start debating just to see if you like it, IMHO you won't stop.

Re: here's my responses nnn9245 September 8 2005, 08:48:17 UTC

Its not hard to quit debate. It just takes a bad experience or a quick realization you don't belong there anymore. A semester of college debate in the beginning will really show you if you want to debate. Its not like high school debate, you can quit in an instance, and theres much to replace it. But just like hs debate, waiting a year or two, makes it impossible to join the activity on a good level.

SWon

Re: here's my responses the_shivers September 8 2005, 18:22:58 UTC

Yes, I suppose it is easy for one to quit debate. But as Leo says, debate is like an addiction and it would be near impossible to stop. Once you start, I imagine the obligation factor becomes impossible to overcome.

So, your point is valid for people in general. But not for Leo.

dont quit asshole anonymous September 7 2005, 23:08:53 UTC

At least start out debating, maybe it won't be you're thing maybe it will. But if you never try it, there will inevitably be that one day where you look back on why you didn't at least try and regret it. I've been thinkin about how much fun those past four years were, debating for Lexington. Debates given a lot to my life, just look at the college I went to, debate put me here. I know debate has given you a lot to, Im not saying that you owe it, Im saying that it can give you a lot more. You'll always have friends for life even if you don't continue debating, but you have so much more to gain from debating. That nns5 person says that you shouldn't debate just for the people, I think you can. Debate for teh people because the people make it great. There's a connection with debaters, they enjoy each others company, and despite the highly competitive and sometimes hurtful nature of the activity, we all enjoy it ( ... )

Re: dont quit asshole hgoody05 September 8 2005, 04:07:47 UTC

Wow, I don't think you should consider ANY of this ( ... )

Re: dont quit asshole anonymous September 8 2005, 08:54:38 UTC

If everyone here is scared that things that take taime are a bad thing, you are seriously mistaken. Anything worth it is time consuming. If you play sports, its time consuming, if you want to be premed, its time consuming. Debate will take time, and you all assume that the time you spend working, and looking into new horizons of argumentation and research are horrible and not entertaining. Those who love debate realize that theres actually parts of debate time that are entertaining and interesting. Y'all complain abt the workload without knowing what college debate really is like. Ive been in college debate for 3 weeks and the work load is up to you, you can manage it and it is not killer, they understand the college aspect ( ... )

Re: dont quit asshole hgoody05 September 8 2005, 12:21:37 UTC

I definitely dont think that debate makes college unenjoyable for all people. According to Leo's post though, he sort of hates debate and he knows it will take up all his time. That sounds like it will be unenjoyable for Leo.

Balance, Leo, balance shadowsys September 8 2005, 00:07:45 UTC

Lets see, how to answer this issue without sounding a) hideously boring and generic or b) like a traitor to the faith...time for some impact comparison ( ... )

Re: Balance, Leo, balance shadowsys September 8 2005, 09:17:27 UTC

i agree with jr abt the greatness of debate. i think hes wrong however about the trade off. No matter if you continue debate or not, there will be a trade off in your life. if you are right about your addictive personality, if you joined the harvard basket making club, you would still have the problem of wanting to make and design new baskets all the time. the issue of time trade off is at this point moot. you shoulndt conserve all your time from activities becuase you are afraid to spend that time. that means you will simply do nothing because you will worry that it will trade off in time. i will repeat again that even if you pick up debate, you will be surprised with the amount of time to do other things like your basket making club. do debate because you enjoy debating. the argument: "dont do debate because you may find something you enjoy more" is assinine, you already kno you enjoy debate, and to go exploring in the dark without a sureshot at finding the better activity is pointless. i think an important thing for you to do is ( ... )

Re: Balance, Leo, balance shadowsys September 8 2005, 13:47:26 UTC

Damn, this is turning into Swon's personal war here - gotta admire that kind of devotion ( ... )

I'd say no. the_shivers September 8 2005, 01:02:09 UTC

To me, you sound like you don't really want to do debate anymore. I think (IMHO) that you feel like you are supposed to debate forever, that debating is your thing and you feel obligated (your word) to continue, for no amazingly justifying reason ( ... )

it's not an issue nnn9245 September 8 2005, 07:15:14 UTC

of being great or not great, or taking up time or not taking up time. if it's time you want to spend, then who cares! the bottom line is, the best part of debate, by far, are the tournaments. so you won't be giving debate a fair chance if you decide immediately not to go to a tournament ( ... )

Re: I'd say no. the_shivers September 8 2005, 09:33:16 UTC

i dont think its fair to characterize the past four years of debate as slaving away. just like atheletics and ppl in the arts and drama put a commitment into thier art, working day and night to perfect it. thats wut time spent on debate is. you dont work hard on debate bc u hate it. you work hard in debate bc you love it and want to do better, every night i spent "slaving away" as much as i as i was like "omfg debate work sucks", i kno interally i enjoyed doin the work bc it was something i enjoyed. i cant say for a fact thats how leo thinks, but i have a pretty good picture after four years that that is more or less the general direction ( ... )

swon is just wrong. the_shivers September 8 2005, 20:03:04 UTC

"you work hard in debate bc you love it and want to do better, every night i spent "slaving away" as much as i as i was like "omfg debate work sucks", i kno interally i enjoyed doin the work bc it was something i enjoyed."

u mai wrk hard in db8 bc u <3 it + want 2 b gooder, but Leo, in his own words, "kind of hate[s] debate."

I never said that working is a bad thing. Working for Latin is not a bad thing if one loves Latin. However, letting debate (something he "hates") take up all of his time is just masochistic.

"if anyone else wants to make up a reason why anyone would hate this actitiy bring it."
I have one! "I kind of hate debate." What more do you want?

Thread 5

hgoody05 September 8 2005, 03:30:19 UTC

Beth is on the $. It's better to start out debate-free and then see if you want to debate, because then you don't risk locking yourself into something that could potentially make you sort of unhappy ( ... )

again, ur wrong hgoody05 September 8 2005, 09:41:49 UTC

debate doesnt work like a lot of things in life. it is hard to just pick it up after a year, EVEN IF YOU WANT TO. refer to hunters post above, very few debaters that return because they want to can build back up because they've lost something by not continuin immediately. y'all have no reason why starting out debate free is a good idea. leo can tell if he belongs in debate or not just by goin through a semester of debate. just bc theres a chance he can get sucked in when he doesnt wnat to isnt a reason he should try. we as his friends have an obligation to pull him out of the activity if he really is getting sucked in and doesnt enjoy it, and we will always be there to pull him out. leo shouldnt fear that he will get sucked in without any help bc thats jsut not true ( ... )

Re: again, ur wrong hgoody05 September 8 2005, 12:25:59 UTC

I can't respond to this if you're misrepresenting what I said and refusing to acknowledge things that Leo said in his original post!