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So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:56 am
by The Cookie Monster
Topic : "Smartness or Hard Work?"
My Side : Smartness

I need some points if any of you is kind enough to help. Thanks!

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 4:33 pm
by monkeymaximus
So you want to prove smartness is more important than hard work, correct? Here are some points I would try arguing.

- Hard work in the wrong direction is useless. You have to be smart enough to make the right decision first.
- Smarter people can usually get the job done faster and with less mistakes. (more efficient, so they can get 2-100x more done)
- Sometimes hard work just isn't enough. If you aren't smart some doors will always be closed to you. For example good luck becoming a nuclear physicist without being smart to begin with.
- In todays society things move much faster. At work you need to be smart in order to keep up with things and do things efficiently. Working hard at it means you will get the work done but probably at a slower pace as it will take longer to understand the concepts. Its hard to compete with someone who gets the work done faster and potentially better than you. Also in a meeting you need to be quick on your feet... smarter folk are usually quicker at thinking and thus quicker on their feet.
- Hard work doesn't always compensate for a lack of common sense.

If you get to set the definitions I would be sure to define common sense as one of the attributes of smartness. Its hard to be truly successful without common sense... and then you can add a bunch of bullet points off that.

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:21 am
by The Cookie Monster
monkeymaximus wrote:So you want to prove smartness is more important than hard work, correct? Here are some points I would try arguing.

- Hard work in the wrong direction is useless. You have to be smart enough to make the right decision first.
- Smarter people can usually get the job done faster and with less mistakes. (more efficient, so they can get 2-100x more done)
- Sometimes hard work just isn't enough. If you aren't smart some doors will always be closed to you. For example good luck becoming a nuclear physicist without being smart to begin with.
- In todays society things move much faster. At work you need to be smart in order to keep up with things and do things efficiently. Working hard at it means you will get the work done but probably at a slower pace as it will take longer to understand the concepts. Its hard to compete with someone who gets the work done faster and potentially better than you. Also in a meeting you need to be quick on your feet... smarter folk are usually quicker at thinking and thus quicker on their feet.
- Hard work doesn't always compensate for a lack of common sense.

If you get to set the definitions I would be sure to define common sense as one of the attributes of smartness. Its hard to be truly successful without common sense... and then you can add a bunch of bullet points off that.


Thank you VERY Much. Means a lot! :)

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:27 am
by ace
Don't forgot then you can be the smartest man in the world but you won't get off your lazy butt if you don't work hard towards something ;) I think the two go hand in hand though, and anyone can become "smart" if they put the work in towards their goal. The one thing you can't teach is common sense, but like I said I feel like those go hand in hand, if you have any common sense you will probably know the value of hard work.

For instance, I know some pretty "smart" people at school, but when they actually do something as trivial as basic single stage reloading (ammo) they act like they don't have any common sense, and try to cut corners because they are lazy instead of paying attention to what they are doing.

Just saying, remember you can have all the knowledge in the world, but without working hard towards a goal then that future nuclear physicist won't be successful if he doesn't want to put the necessary work in.

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:45 am
by The Cookie Monster
ace wrote:Don't forgot then you can be the smartest man in the world but you won't get off your lazy butt if you don't work hard towards something ;) I think the two go hand in hand though, and anyone can become "smart" if they put the work in towards their goal. The one thing you can't teach is common sense, but like I said I feel like those go hand in hand, if you have any common sense you will probably know the value of hard work.

For instance, I know some pretty "smart" people at school, but when they actually do something as trivial as basic single stage reloading (ammo) they act like they don't have any common sense, and try to cut corners because they are lazy instead of paying attention to what they are doing.

Just saying, remember you can have all the knowledge in the world, but without working hard towards a goal then that future nuclear physicist won't be successful if he doesn't want to put the necessary work in.


That's what my opponents will be saying, I guess :P

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:19 pm
by ace
Haha, well it is a good idea when going into a debate to think of all the arguments your opponents are likely to use so you can think ahead of time on what your counter argument will be.

Re: So I've got this debate...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:00 pm
by crait
To have a good debate and to be a good debater, you not only need to know your side's, but you need to know the opposite side's argument, too.

For me, I feel like working hard can sometimes be better, and maybe is the best in the long run. I think of it like the race of the tortoise and the hair. Smarts can only get you so far. If you're not hard working, you're probably not going to put those smarts to good use. I know a lot of very, very smart people, but they are bums or they dropped out of college or high school and have ended up doing nothing. If you're hard working, you'll always be making progress... Maybe not very fast, but you'll still be making progress. I think if someone lacks dedication, they will rarely ever make progress.

Oh, and this may be a cool bit of information. Scientists deducted that evolutionarily speaking, intelligence has nothing to do with how well a species is capable of survival and intelligence can even be eliminated and the species will do completely fine. I wish I could find the link for it, but I cannot find it at the moment... :-/