FE Debating 101

[dondon151]

Play the life card.

[Interceptor]

So actually I'm a bad example.

Don't be so modest, smash. You aren't known for drawing attention to yourself, as we all know, but I think that you should make an exception in this one specific case. My adeptness in absorbing your debating lessons is not a reflection of my own studious nature, but of the superior example that you've set.

what the-

Are Smash and Int being decently civil to each other what the fuck is this shit

When I go to family reunions, there is usually a situation where you'll have two people that say things like "how nice to SEE you", or "I LOVE how that looks on you" in a tone of voice so sugary-sweet that it will give you cavities. However, if you were to hold up a thermometer between them, you'll notice that it's cold enough to snow.

This is sort of the same thing.

Smash and interceptor should have a freestyle rap battle.

I would be forced to decline. smash's writing voice gives him an unfair advantage over me in a rap battle, because there are about a million things that rhyme with "LOL".

[Colonel M]

10/10 would read the whole topic again.

(Notice I said topic).

[Mekkah]

so why is mia getting adept for free

[Colonel M]

so why is mia getting adept for free

Silly Mekkah I'm not giving it to Mia I'm GIVING it to Mia because obviously she's better than Zihark, who actually uses Adept better.

(am I an ace debater now?)

[Narga_Rocks]

so why is mia getting adept for free

Silly Mekkah I'm not giving it to Mia I'm GIVING it to Mia because obviously she's better than Zihark, who actually uses Adept better.

(am I an ace debater now?)

Really don't want to get into the Mia thing. But when, precisely, does he actually use Adept better? Keep in mind it goes to waste in part 3 if you try to keep the whole "free" thing going on, so don't try to use that.

Anyway, we should add another way to debate:

When your opponent has a group of paragraphs with arguments extremely damaging to your case, call it a strawman and don't respond to it. Hopefully your opponent won't know what to do about it all because he will feel he can't just repost it all and doesn't have a clue how he needs to reword it to prevent you from saying that. At this point you just pray that everybody else will just forget about the argument that blew apart your entire stance because it was only in one post. In this way you can attempt to block the best argument against your idea. And it may even work.

This is similar to making one sentence "I concede" about something major, and since it is only in 1 post out of dozens, it will hopefully be treated by everyone else as if it is a minor point (even if it is a major point) and thus something that gets in the way is mostly ignored. The "claim it's a strawman" plan has the advantage that you aren't admitting to a failure of your character, but the disadvantage is that the "I concede" plan likely has a higher chance of success.

[Colonel M]

Narga I wasn't being serious. >_>;

[Narga_Rocks]

Narga I wasn't being serious. >_>;

Okay. Wasn't sure based on the wording. I suppose it is somewhat of an imitation of the debating style if someone following these ideas is debating against Mia.

I was thinking it was an example of a bad argument for Mia, or something.

Edited November 13, 2009 by Narga_Rocks

[Interceptor]

(am I an ace debater now?)

No. That was bad, and you should feel bad. You disgrace the name of Grand Elder Smash -- may he debate forever -- who provided the plebeians of Serenes Forest with the secrets to his debating prowess, etched in stone tablets marred with the tears of his adversaries.

Your argument had no misquotes, no LOLs, no aizenstomps, no appeals to popularity, no phalluses, no insults, no rhetorical flourishes, and it was far too short. Consider yourself excommunicated.

[Colonel M]

(am I an ace debater now?)

No. That was bad, and you should feel bad. You disgrace the name of Grand Elder Smash -- may he debate forever -- who provided the plebeians of Serenes Forest with the secrets to his debating prowess, etched in stone tablets marred with the tears of his adversaries.

Your argument had no misquotes, no LOLs, no aizenstomps, no appeals to popularity, no phalluses, no insults, no rhetorical flourishes, and it was far too short. Consider yourself excommunicated.

:(

I shall try harder next time.

(LOL)

Edited November 13, 2009 by Colonel M

[Vykan12]

So I enter the forum and browse for a tier list

Because I know debating is serious business

I read a dozen paragraphs from this avid poster

And choose to reply with a non-sequitur

The poster gets angry and pulls a quote from Shakespeare

Something I see far too often in my debating career

I decide to resort to CAPS and 1337sp33k

Make personal insults in my consecutive post streaks

And even if I’m losing the argument because judges are absurd

I’m an expert at getting in the last word

[Florete]

So I enter the forum and browse for a tier list

Because I know debating is serious business

I read a dozen paragraphs from this avid poster

And choose to reply with a non-sequitur

The poster gets angry and pulls a quote from Shakespeare

Something I see far too often in my debating career

I decide to resort to CAPS and 1337sp33k

Make personal insults in my consecutive post streaks

And even if I’m losing the argument because judges are absurd

I’m an expert at getting in the last word

11/10, would read a thousand times over.

[Interceptor]

11/10, would read a thousand times over.

More like 6/10, because the meter is all over the fucking place.

This reminds me of the poem that I once wrote for Vykan. Context, Vykan quitting the tier list for the 5th or 6th time:

I think this topic and perhaps this entire forum is a stupid, pathetic waste of time for perverted kids who dig anime chicks and who live in their basement. I have no idea why I ever partook in this stupidity, I suppose it's just my obsessive nature and Fire Emblem had piqued my interest for a while. However, I couldn't care less now, I have a life, and much better things to do than to contest pointless, circular and spiteful arguments that seem to reflect people's insecurities and biases more than an objective view.

I wrote a goodbye poem. Ahem:

The anime-crazed human freakshows,

Say goodbye to a tier list vet,

We'll treasure his words forever,

Or at least until we forget.

[Vykan12]

I think the fact that you dug up a post that's more than 2 years old is more disturbing than the post itself.

[Interceptor]

Don't worry, Ross Perot, it only took 10 seconds to find. I just Googled the last line of the poem and my name.

[dondon151]

Your search - "at least until we forget" interceptor - did not match any documents.

Oops.

[Dat Nick]

I don't care if I get spam warned for this, it needed to be said.

[Interceptor]

Your search - "at least until we forget" interceptor - did not match any documents.

Oops.

It was probably because I was logged in, and Sergey Brin was spying on me. Perhaps a search string with my username in it will work for the pleebs.

[Paperblade]

Expected a link to LMGTFY.

I am disappoint.

[Progenitus]

So actually I'm a bad example.

Don't be so modest, smash. You aren't known for drawing attention to yourself, as we all know, but I think that you should make an exception in this one specific case. My adeptness in absorbing your debating lessons is not a reflection of my own studious nature, but of the superior example that you've set.

elaborate and flowery "no u"

point 2, subpoint I.

like i said everyone, int aced this class.

Edited November 14, 2009 by 8========================D

[Paperblade]

So, is this class a required course for politicians?

[Progenitus]

They have to get at least a 95%.

[Interceptor]

elaborate and flowery "no u"

point 2, subpoint I.

Don't be silly, sensei, we're not debating. That you are the inspiration for the debating guide, leading by example, is a truism, something not even to be disputed. You're just being coy about it, embarrassed by the attention.

I mean, your habit of putting things in quotes that nobody ever said, that's brilliant. Sometimes you use it to poison the well, sometimes you use it to misrepresent someone's already-made argument, but it's awesome in both cases. Well, you probably stole it from Paperblade but that doesn't matter because you improved upon it and made it your own.

If I may be so presumptuous, I think that should call this technique "The Preemptive Straw-man". It's genius in its simplicity.

[Progenitus]

elaborate and flowery "no u"

point 2, subpoint I.

Don't be silly, sensei, we're not debating.

The fact that we're not debating yet you STILL follow the lessons from class just show how much this whole thing to you is second nature, ace student. It always warms a professor's heart to see his students applying the things learned from class to the outside world.

Well, that, and getting a blowjob from the hot blonde.

That you are the inspiration for the debating guide, leading by example, is a truism, something not even to be disputed. You're just being coy about it, embarrassed by the attention.

Please, your compliments mean too much to me.

I mean, your habit of putting things in quotes that nobody ever said, that's brilliant. Sometimes you use it to poison the well, sometimes you use it to misrepresent someone's already-made argument, but it's awesome in both cases. Well, you probably stole it from Paperblade but that doesn't matter because you improved upon it and made it your own.

If I may be so presumptuous, I think that should call this technique "The Preemptive Straw-man". It's genius in its simplicity.

It's actually a very dangerous tactic to use. See, when you destroy someone's stance by mimicking it and showing everyone how stupid it is, the opponent himself realizes how futile his own argument is, at which point the only thing he can do is call it a strawman (right in line with point 1, subpoint I).

[CT075]

*rates topic 11/10*

I was halfway through the first second post when I realized that he was joking.

Not kidding.