Clarity: The Stranger Test

“Let’s try it with an even more complex idea, blockchain.”

ComprehensionDrew MagnessOctober 31, 2018Comprehension, communication, debate, speech, complexity, simplicity, tags, organization, novice, clearerComment

When Should I Run Definitions?

Logically, the first step to prove a resolution is to...

The Economy of Complexity

Most economics classes begin by explaining the problem of...

Comprehension, Case Writing, StrategyJoseph AbellMarch 20, 2018Debate, Case Writing, Comprehension, Structure, Theory

How to Explain Things - Part 2

In the last post, I talked about Reference Points: a way to identify the starting point of any explanation.

The second step, logical chronology, tells you how to take your audience the rest of the way.

Logical Chronology

Logical Chronology is the act of presenting ideas...

Joseph AbellFebruary 4, 2018Comprehension, Policy, Value, Case Writing, Evidence

How to Explain Things - Part 1

There are two basic tools that make explanation possible. This post covers the first one:

Reference Points

Reference points are things that two people already know, like a shared language. This post is written in English, because I know that’s what you speak. If it were written in Swahili, it may still contain useful information, but it would probably be useless to you.

Beyond language...

Policy, Value, ParliJoseph AbellJanuary 28, 2018Comprehension, Case Writing

Policy Evidence - The 80/20 Rule

Many policy debaters treat evidence like rare silver, to where having more of it makes the case more valuable by default.

"I have 17 pieces of evidence in my 1AC!"

As a result, many policy cases are written with a primary emphasis on...

PolicyJoseph AbellJanuary 21, 2018Policy, Evidence, Comprehension, Case Writing

Logical Chronology

Reference Points

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