Introduction

Quick-witted and audacious, Debaters aren’t afraid to disagree with the status quo. In fact, they’re not afraid to disagree with pretty much anything or anyone. Few things light up people with this personality type more than a bit of verbal sparring – and if the conversation veers into controversial terrain, so much the better.

It would be a mistake, though, to think of Debaters as disagreeable or mean-spirited. Instead, people with this personality type are knowledgeable and curious, with a playful sense of humor, and they can be incredibly entertaining. They simply have an offbeat, contrarian idea of fun – one that involves a healthy dose of spirited debate.

Breaking the Rules

Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy.

Debaters are known for their rebellious streak. For this personality type, no belief is too sacred to be questioned, no idea is too fundamental to be scrutinized, and no rule is too important to be broken, or at least thoroughly tested. Sometimes Debaters even rebel against their own beliefs by arguing the opposing viewpoint – just to see how the world looks from the other side.

As Debaters see it, most people are too ready to do as they’re told and blindly conform to social norms, pressures, and standards. Debaters enjoy the mental exercise of questioning the prevailing mode of thought, and they take a certain pleasure in uncovering the value of underdogs and outliers. Their active minds can’t help but rethink the things that everyone else takes for granted and push them in clever new directions.

While Debater personalities love to brainstorm and think big, they tend to avoid getting caught doing the “grunt work” of implementing their ideas. To some extent, this makes sense – Debaters have far too many thoughts and suggestions to keep track of them all, let alone turn them into reality. But unless Debaters develop the willingness to identify and actually follow through on their priorities, they may struggle to harness their full potential.

The Cost of Contrarianism

Debaters’ capacity for debate is legendary, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always helpful. When they openly question their boss in a meeting or pick apart everything their significant other says, Debaters may think that they’re being champions of rationality and logic. But they may also be doing their chances of success and happiness more harm than good.

Not every occasion calls for this personality type’s default contrarianism, and most people can only stand to have their beliefs questioned and their feelings brushed aside for so long. As a result, Debaters may find that their quarrelsome fun burns many bridges, often inadvertently. Debaters are respected for their vision, confidence, knowledge, and keen sense of humor – but unless they cultivate a bit of sensitivity, they may struggle to maintain deeper relationships or even to achieve their professional goals.

With time, many Debaters realize that their ideal life involves other people and that spending too much energy on “winning” arguments ultimately means robbing themselves of the support that they need to get where they want to be in life. The good news is that people with this personality type will never lose their sharply nonconformist edge. They can simply use their cognitive flexibility to understand and explore other people’s perspectives, recognizing the value of consideration and compromise alongside logic and progress.