What are the principles of debate? Why are honesty and open-mindedness important in a debate?
Trey Gowdy argues that the goal of persuasion shouldn’t simply be to advance your own point of view, but to better understand others’ and reach a higher truth. To do this, you must follow the basic principles of debate.
Keep reading to learn what these principles are so you can persuade others with moral standards.
The Goal of Persuasion
Gowdy repeatedly emphasizes that persuasion is not about winning for its own sake, but about convincingly presenting what you believe to be the truth to others. The truth is more important than the benefits of winning, and to that end, Gowdy believes that you should always enter a debate with an open mind and the willingness to be convinced of your opponent’s point of view.
(Shortform note: Gowdy’s high-minded approach to persuasion stands in contrast to many other guides, which are more Machiavellian in their suggestions of how to use persuasion to succeed personally, professionally, or financially. For example, books like All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin and Negotiation Genius by Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman encourage the use of persuasive techniques to more effectively sell a product or promote a business. On the other hand, Gowdy is in agreement with many foundational rhetoricians when he describes the ultimate goal of persuasion as being the betterment of the world, not just self-advancement.)
Gowdy therefore sees honesty and open-mindedness as the two main principles of debate, with honesty requiring you to be truthful about your goals and avoid emotionally manipulative tactics, and open-mindedness requiring you to listen to and fairly consider what your opponent has to say. He believes both values lead to better communication and outcomes that are more favorable to everyone involved.
1. Be Honest
Because Gowdy believes that the purpose of debate is to arrive at a truth everyone can accept, he dismisses persuasive tactics that he sees as dishonest, manipulative, or driven by emotion rather than by the facts. He states that you should never lie, insult, or attempt to deliberately anger your opponent, or use threats or shows of force in making your argument. You should strive to change minds by convincing people that your version of the truth is the most logical and best-supported version, rather than through coercion or by encouraging someone to ignore the evidence in favor of what “feels” right.
Gowdy bases much of his advice about persuasion on his experiences as a prosecutor. He believes that the US court system is built around the pursuit of truth and fairness for victims and the accused alike, and that the rules and procedures of courtrooms—such as the evaluation of evidence and the judge’s dismissal of any evidence that’s irrelevant or poorly supported—have been tested over the centuries as effective tools for illuminating truth. While he also pulls from his time on Congressional committees that investigated wrongdoing on the part of politicians, he expresses frustration that in Congress, the facts of a case often mattered less than a person’s popularity with the public or in the media.
2. Be Open-Minded
While Gowdy acknowledges that most people approach a debate with the goal of winning, he repeatedly stresses that remaining open to being persuaded yourself not only results in a better, more honest society, but also makes you a more effective persuader. If you seriously consider the counterarguments to your position, you’re better able to defend yourself against them. Additionally, if you treat your opponent with respect and strive to understand their position, you’re better able to foster a relationship with them, which makes cooperation possible even if you still ideologically disagree. Gowdy claims that being open-minded was central to his ability to collaborate across party lines in Congress.
(Shortform note: In Words That Change Minds, communications expert Shelle Rose Charvet similarly argues that understanding others is the first step toward effective communication and argumentation. While Gowdy advises considering your opponent’s point of view as if it were your own, Charvet advises looking at how a person chooses to express themselves and their ideas and then “mirroring” their language. Advocates for the kind of bipartisanship Gowdy describes also suggest that finding common ground or shared values is the first step toward cross-party collaboration.)
