Here’s the situation: You and your husband have a night to yourselves for a romantic dinner. He’s thinking something along the lines of sharing some McNuggets before the second course–a Big Mac and fries. You’re thinking steak and red wine. Who wins? Not all of us have the ability to argue effectively, so when John Burzynski ‘09, a political science and history double major, was named the second-best orator in the country at the moot court national tournament in January, we thought, now there’s some expertise we could really use.
We asked Burzynski, who competed with seven other members of the Denison Moot Court Team at that competition, to give us some pointers on the art of winning an argument, so come Friday night, we’re not scarfing down fries next to Playland when we could be sitting at a table with a white tablecloth and candles.
–Eds.
Play Both Sides
Know your competition. The first step to building any effective argument is to think about the counter-argument. What will your rival argue, and why? If you can make your competition’s argument, you can undermine it. Know the case, and you know its flaws.
Be Respectful
Sarcastic and mocking commentary may win you points from the peanut gallery, but it will cost you points with the person you’re trying to persuade. On the flip side, it pays to be polite: listen to the counterargument, acknowledge their strong points, and make them understand that you understand. If you can make your competition feel heard and validated, you are halfway to having them accept your own points.
Know Your Case Law
No debater worth his or her salt walks into an argument without knowledge of the precedents, and neither should you. Most people, like most judges, are genuinely conservative when it comes to decision-making. New is scary, but if you can ground your argument in precedent of what has been done before, it becomes much more acceptable.
You Lose Some, You Win More
If you try to win on every point, you come off as stubborn and arrogant. But if you’re willing to give a little, you can gain a lot of credibility in the eyes of your competition. Never be afraid to concede one issue when your rival makes a great point, but then turn that around and explain why your case should still prevail. In the end, you’ll have lost on one point and your rival will be much more agreeable when it comes time to drive home your core argument.
Be Bold
You can come in prepared and respectful, but without the passion to back it up, you are arguing a losing case. You need to convince your competition that you believe what you are saying, you care about what’s at stake, you are excited to see a particular outcome, and you want them to agree with you.