The #1 advice for debating and #1 thing bout edeb8

In your opinion, what is the #1 advice you can give someone when debating?

I would tell people to always be passionate about the topic you're arguing. You need to stay passionate the entire time, even if you're playing devils advocate or the opposing position says something that makes you doubt your case. If you can build a passion for the topic you are debating, you can be unstoppable against those without the same level of passion. For example, in my opening speech on this debate ( http://www.edeb8.com/debate/That+the+Czech+Republic+should+become+an+atheist+state/), I forced myself to become passionate about the topic, despite having huge problems with the side I was arguing.

By the end of my opening speech, I was actually pretty convinced that very good arguments do exist for my side. A far cry from my original thoughts on the topic. For people who remember me back during the online world debate tournament, I was very skeptical about taking a topic on banning circumcision. My views have drastically changed about taking either side of a topic since I grew on this site.

I think others coming in from DDO feel the same way. I know Ajab, Romanii, and John all originally expressed sentiments of one side having an unfair advantage in a debate, or that good arguments didn't exist for one side.

Seems like I got off track, right? No, because I was transitioning into my #1 favorite thing about edeb8. It is that we take topics outside our comfort zone, and unique ones at that. We go to places you rarely see even in professional tournaments. Our opinions usually drastically change on debates we played as devils advocate on. This is by far, my favorite thing about edeb8.

Sorry about the poor grammar. Kind of speed wrote this without review.

Don't want to start a new thread on this, but I've decided that admin was correct about having long convincing arguments over short convincing arguments

Blackflag: My #1 advice: use narrative. Everyone on this site (me included) should do this more.