Key to Success in Debates and Discussions

We all have ideas, opinions — knowledge about something or the other.
We have acquired this through systematic learning and experience.

It could be related to the profession.
It could be about life.
It could be about fields of interest other than the profession.

A doctor may have sound knowledge about stock markets.
A chartered accountant may have good knowledge about paintings or movies.

We have seen earlier:
नापृष्टः कस्यचित् ब्रूयात्
If not asked for, don’t offer your opinion.
Offer your opinion only when asked for, or if you have a mandate to offer your opinion or suggestion.

Otherwise, even if you are Devaguru Brihaspati:
अप्राप्तकालं वचनं बृहस्पतिरपि ब्रुवन्
लभते बह्वज्ञानमपमानं च पुष्कलम्
Even if you are Brihaspati — if you give advice or a suggestion at the wrong time, what you get will be insult.
You should know when to give advice or suggestion.

Does it mean that you should completely stay away from giving opinions and advice?
No.

Knowledge or words — speech — they exist either in the mind or on the tongue:
एकेषां वाचि शुकवत्
अन्येषां हृदि मूकवत्
हृदिवाचि तथान्येषां वल्गु वल्गन्ति सूक्तयः
For some, it’s only in the speech. For others, only in the mind. For a few, it shines both in the heart and on the tongue.

If your mind is blank, you better stay away from getting involved in the conversation.
Only if you have reliable knowledge, then the question comes — whether to bring it to your tongue, meaning, whether to speak it out.

Once you decide to speak what you know, the timing is very important.

Both are important — knowledge and timing.

Timing, in the sense — whether to enter the discussion at all — that is one.
Whether to enter the discussion that is happening now.
Or let this debate happen, I will keep silent. Nothing is going to come out of this kind of debate.
It will soon end with no conclusion.
But then, the issue is pressing. The debate will happen again. That time I will enter.
This is one kind of timing.

Another kind of timing is within an ongoing debate itself:

• Whether you make the opening statement.

• Whether you give your opinion when the discussion is heated.

• Whether you wait till the opinions of the others have exhausted.

You may be excited about what you know.
But the timing of delivery is also equally important.

A debate is always dynamic.
It is not like writing a book or a blog, where you place your idea or opinion in the public domain for others to access as and when they want.
A debate is dynamic.

A boat is going through a river — you have to jump into it when it is right in front of you.
Not before. Not after it is gone.
Otherwise, you will simply fall into the river.

People who are successful in debates and discussions — they are watchful about this timing also.

There is one more thing about debates and discussions.
Be it one-to-one or many-to-many — it is not a speech delivery.
You can’t always go with a script and deliver.

The discussion is dynamic.
You can only have clarity about what you want to say.
Other than that, you can’t have a script.
You can have a few punch sentences, but you can’t have the entire script ready.

Because:
उत्तरादुत्तरां वाक्यं वदतां संप्रजायते
In any discussion, the speech builds upon itself.
You say something.
The other person listens and says something.
Then you respond to it.
Then he responds to that.

At the beginning of the conversation, you may have some firm convictions.
He may have some firm convictions.
But as you proceed — they get modified.
That is what discussions are for.

So don’t shy away from discussions and conversations — even if you are so sure that there will not be any favourable outcome.

They build — one upon another.

In any crisis, don’t sit with your ideas and your conclusions alone.
Discuss with others.
New ideas will come up.
New options will come up.
New solutions will come up.

That is the nature of conversations.
That is the nature of discussions.

उत्तरादुत्तरां वाक्यं वदतां संप्रजायते
One reply leads to another — and from that, new light emerges.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi