Debate Expertise as a Tool for Confidence Building and Empowerment
Seo Bo-hyun left Korea for Australia with his parents when he was nine years old. In the small town north of Sydney where they settled, there were very few Asians, and Bo-hyun was often teased by his white classmates for his poor English skills. He lost confidence in himself because he couldn’t express himself as he wanted to, and he tended to say only “yes” or “okay” to whatever was said to him, even if he disagreed.
It was debate that gave Bo-hyun a voice. Although he was quiet during recess, he felt confident in the debating hall, where he couldn’t be ignored or ridiculed for being Asian or having poor English skills. As he grew up, he became a world-renowned “debate expert” who participated in various debate competitions. Seo, who published a humanities book titled “Debater” on the 14th, at the age of 29, shares his story.
During the Zoom conference on the 18th, Seo was surprisingly quiet. He listened carefully to the questions, took his time to think, and then answered slowly.
“I started debating to overcome my shyness. As an immigrant and an outsider, I often found it difficult to express myself. I needed a debating stage to be able to speak up.”
In Australia, debate is encouraged as a school activity. He started debating at the age of 11, out of curiosity, and discovered his talent. He won the World Student Debating Championships (WSDC) in 2013 and the World University Debating Championships (WUDC) in 2016. He also worked as a coach for the Australian national team and Harvard University debate team. When asked about the secret to successful debating, he mentioned “listening.”
“People think debating is about speaking well and overpowering your opponent, but it’s really more important to listen to what the other person has to say. You need to listen carefully to be able to express an opposing opinion. Debating is not about rhetoric.”
Seo emphasizes that everyone should know how to debate. He argues that we cannot solve the diverse problems of modern society by avoiding conflict and remaining silent. He also predicts that the importance of debating with people will increase in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
“In 2019, IBM’s Project Debater, the world’s first debate-style AI, participated in the World Debating Championships and won the most victories. The AI was logical, but the human debaters won with their ability to make the audience laugh or to move them emotionally at the right moment. Although AI is good at collecting and classifying information, people are the best at dealing with other people.”
After graduating from high school in Australia, Seo went to the United States to study at Georgetown University. He plans to continue to spread the importance of debating, which has empowered him, and to share his passion for it with others.