Amerika

A quick note for all out there: we do not write “bloggy” stuff here that couches opinions as aesthetics. We strike for the walls through assertive prose:

Examined 18 months later, those receiving debate training were more likely to have advanced to leadership roles, by about 12 percentage points. This effect was statistically explained by increased assertiveness among those with debate training.

But as the authors note, the American Psychological Association conceptualizes assertiveness as “an adaptive style of communication in which individuals express their feelings and needs directly, while maintaining respect for others.”

Lu adds, “Assertiveness is conceptually different from aggressiveness. To speak up in meetings or classrooms, people don’t need to be aggressive jerks. You can ask questions politely, yet still effectively express opinons. Of course, that’s different from not saying anything at all.”

Most people seek to avoid conflict, but assertiveness means accepting conflict and aiming for clarity instead. Those of us with debate training who suffered through a couple degrees often write this way, especially if we have business or leadership experience, in order to communicate instead of fetishing style.

Tags: assertiveness, debate